It would seem that Jay had discovered his passion for photography upon inheriting his father’s hand-me-down Nikon film camera, at the young age of thirteen. Jay immediately developed an affinity to looking at life through the lens of his camera and what ensued was an exciting photographic journey that would eventually lead him to his career as professional photographer.

 Though beginning under the tutelage of his father, former National Geographic staff photographer, Jay naturally developed a photographic style and identity all his own. Through experimentation, an incredible amount of patience & preparation, and countless hours spent researching potential photo opportunities, Jay began to capture such awe-inspiring photographs on his own. A pair of Yellowstone Cutthroat trout underwater, the last house on Holland Island reflecting in the rippling water just before it collapsed, and a fleet of wooden Skipjacks against an ominous grey sky are among Jay’s most memorable pieces from the early stages of his career.

 Jay considers himself to be extremely fortunate to have found a livelihood that both satisfies his creativity and simultaneously supports his beliefs in environmental conservation.

Jay spent the summers of 2011 and 2012 working in Yellowstone National Park to preserve the park’s dwindling population of native Cutthroat Trout. During this time, he was able to explore his surroundings and capture some of the iconic beauty of the park’s landscape and wildlife—however, what was most memorable to him was the fact that some of those very photographs directly contributed to raising awareness to the conservation efforts being made. Jay’s photographs of these threatened Cutthroat Trout appeared in a National Geographic publication that informed the public of the increasing threat of invasive species.