Originally planned for display in the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum’s Van Lennep Auditorium, an exhibition featuring the works of Chesapeake Bay photographer Jay Fleming has instead shifted to a virtual offering. Island Life: Changing Culture, Changing Shorelines can be found online at cbmmislandlife.org.

Jay discovered his passion for photography when he inherited his father’s hand-me-down Nikon film camera, at the young age of 13. Jay immediately developed an affinity for looking at life through a camera lens and what ensued was an exciting photographic journey that would eventually lead him to his career as professional photographer.

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

Jay considers himself extremely fortunate to have found a livelihood that simultaneously satisfies his creativity and supports his belief in environmental conservation. He spent the summers of 2011 and 2012 working in Yellowstone National Park to preserve the 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. But most special to Jay is the fact that those photographs have contributed directly to raising awareness for conservation efforts in Yellowstone. Jay’s photographs of threatened cutthroat trout appeared in a National Geographic publication aimed at informing the public of the increasing threat of invasive species.

Closer to his home in Annapolis, Md., Jay has turned his attention toward the Chesapeake Bay. He spent three years documenting all aspects of the Bay’s rapidly changing seafood industry for his first book, Working the Water, released in 2016. From underwater photographs of blue crabs swimming in lush beds of underwater grasses to incredibly poignant portraits of laborers in an oyster shucking house, to portraits of workboats leaving the dock before sunrise, Jay has illustrated the full spectrum of Chesapeake Bay fisheries in Working the Water. This title is currently in its third and final printing.

Jay’s documentation of the seafood industry has proved to be an incredibly powerful tool in educating the public and shedding light on the people and processes that bring common seafood products to market. In 2017, amidst other photography and video projects, he committed to his second book, Island Life. After 10 years of trips to Smith and Tangier Islands—the only inhabited offshore islands in the Chesapeake Bay—Jay developed an interest in the environments and communities of the islands. Island Life explores the environment and seasonal Chesapeake harvests that provide the rhythm for community life, while documenting the tenacity and determination of Smith and Tangier islanders who honor tradition while facing an uncertain future. Island Life is expected to be released in October 2021.

Whether it’s a dramatic sunrise over the water or a fisherman hauling gear, Jay’s passion for his craft and visual storytelling is obvious in every photograph. His talent is undeniable and his photography is both beautiful and purposeful.