Projects: 2024 Commercial Projects Recap

This year has been a wild ride! I’m incredibly grateful for the work and support, but have been so swamped with projects that, unfortunately, I’ve neglected my blog for most of the year. As we move into the new year, I’ll be dedicating a bit more time to getting back to working on this site. I also have some really awesome new ideas in the works that will launch, including a new online photography tutoring platform with one-on-one classes, which will launch in the spring. Followed by an online store coming in early summer, where you’ll be able to purchase limited edition fine art photo prints of some of my more artistic works. But before we dive into 2025, let’s take a look at some of what 2024 entailed.

This year was packed with travel, but so worth it! There are so many new bylines that I need to add to the site as soon as I have a chance. This year, my photos appeared in National Geographic, Time Magazine, Newsweek, The Wall Street Journal, Vogue, Afar, USA Today, Digital Camera Magazine, and many more. It was also amazing to see the IUCN use some of the shots I donated in their Sharks & Rays report, as well as my friends at Manta Trust utilizing some of my images.  I honestly love being able to use photography to support science and conservation. Being able to learn from these brilliant and passionate humans while capturing the incredible hard work they do and telling their story is something truly special for me. So if you or someone you know in the research or conservation space could use some epic images, please don’t hesitate to reach out! I try to fit in at least a couple of pro bono projects each year for research or conservation initiatives.

One of my favorite accomplishments of the year was receiving a PhotoPills award for one of my Milky Way night-scape images, taken at White Pocket in Vermillion Cliffs National Monument this autumn. The award resulted in my image being published in their annual Legacy book, which contains a wealth of highly talented and inspiring photographers from around the world. Getting back to work, though, a large chunk of this year was spent on brand shoots.  I’m incredibly grateful to have the opportunity to shoot for and/or collaborate with so many awesome brands, and I’m looking forward to seeing what the next year brings. I want to extend a special thank you to Sony Alpha, Discovery Channel, Six Senses Resort Laamu, the Maldives Underwater Initiative, Explore Canada, GoPro, PADI (Professional Association of Dive Instructors), Atlantis Dive Resorts, Dive Tutukaka, Aggressor Liveaboards, Evolution Malapascua, ScubaPro, Cressi, DUI, and everyone else who made it such a memorable year.

Where was Jay this year?

The year kicked off with hosting Dive Ninja Expeditions’ annual ‘Ninja New Year’s trip‘ to Socorro and the Revillagigedo Archipelago. Definitely couldn’t ask for a better way to start the year than diving with so many oceanic manta rays while teaching a great group of guests about manta rays, sharks, and photo identification research. However, after that, I was in full moving mode, packing up my house and donating most of what I had accumulated over the past nine years in Baja to prepare for my departure from Mexico. By mid-February, I was back on the road with essentially back-to-back projects in Dominica, New Zealand, the Bahamas, the Maldives, and the Philippines. Then it was off to the Scuba Show in Los Angeles before heading back to Baja to teach at the Above & Below: Mobula Rays & Dark Skies photography workshop with my good friend and epic photographer, Stan Moniz.

After a whirlwind first half of the year, it was time to switch gears and head to Utah to spend a couple of months exploring the mountain west region of the US, shooting nightscapes, adventure travel, and outdoor recreation. Then it was back to the Bahamas for an epic brand shoot with GoPro, PADI, and Aggressor Liveaboards before heading up to the Canadian Rockies! Autumn kicked off with attending the awesome Nightscaper Conference put together by the incredible humans at National Parks At Night in beautiful Kanab, Utah. Then, after exploring the high deserts and mountains of the American Southwest, it was time to hit the road again, with projects in Egypt, the Philippines, and Raja Ampat, Indonesia, to finish up the year. Phew!

Can’t wait to see what next year brings! See you in 2025, fam!