Clay Cook
Clay Cook is one of the top Photography influencer in United States with 130794 audience and 12.9% engagement rate on Instagram. Check out the full profile and start to collaborate.
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Standout projects making waves around the web
Travel and tourism has been a consistent part of my career for many years. While portraiture remains at the core of my photography, these lifestyle tourism campaigns are equally fulfilling, despite their unique challenges. Our team has photographed these projects in caves, on canoes, in cars, under waterfalls, along trails, across cliffs, and within the dark light of distilleries—each setting offering its own demand and reward. The greatest privilege of this work is experiencing and capturing the wide breadth of what my home state of Kentucky has to offer. This collection, created for @kytourism and @kystateparks over the span of several years, includes the cover of the 2024 Kentucky Visitors Guide and the most recent global campaign, “Find What Moves You.” I am very proud of these projects and grateful to my remarkable crew, second photographers and creative partners whose dedication continues to make this work possible. Photography: @claycookphoto | Re-Touch: @jordanhartleyretouch @thomasingersoll | Agency & Creative: @meetmiles @odysseystudios_ | DIT: @adammescan | First Assistant: @jonchiphoto | Third Assistant: @zb_retouching @ryangrantphoto @wowitsomar | Hair, Makeup, Wardrobe: @lambseyreeves @elledotell.hmu S/O to @kelbylm @roxycape @melisslovesthis, @yungsambino, @marinellicreative and @dylanmatt01 for keeping the FWMY campaign on lock. S/O to @leiframsey, @cinestiles and the entire crew with @pathfinderfilms—thank you all for being kind, patient and always open to creative collaboration.
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I’ve been fortunate to work with @kytourism and @kystateparks since 2018, and in that timeframe the experience has been life-changing. I’ve photographed people and places I could have never imagined, stepping into some of the most extraordinary and often unseen corners of Kentucky. Our team has photographed these projects in caves, on canoes, in cars, under waterfalls, along trails, across cliffs, and within the dark light of distilleries—each location offering its own demand and reward. There’s a lot of pride in seeing this work in everyday life across the state—on billboards, bus wraps, in magazines, and on television. This work has brought myself and my crew immense joy, and we always look forward to the next chapter. This collection includes the cover of the 2025 Kentucky Visitors Guide and the most recent global campaign, Find What Moves You. A big thank you to my dedicated crew, second photographers, and creative partners whose tireless efforts continue to make this work possible. Photography: @claycookphoto | Re-Touch: @jordanhartleyretouch @thomasingersoll | Agency & Creative: @meetmiles @odysseystudios_ | DIT: @adammescan | Second Photography(Slide 12): @rwaters.photography | First Assistant: @jonchiphoto | Third Assistant: @zb_retouching @ryangrantphoto | Hair, Makeup, Wardrobe: @lambseyreeves @elledotell.hmu S/O to @kelbylm @roxycape @melisslovesthis, @yungsambino, @marinellicreative and @dylanmatt01 for keeping the FWMY campaign on lock. S/O to @leiframsey, @cinestiles and the entire crew with @pathfinderfilms—thank you all for being kind, patient and always open to creative collaboration.
2025-10-10
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Last month, we had the opportunity to photograph the Fall-Winter 2025 product mix for @anchalproject in a farmhouse that couldn’t have felt more fitting—rich in character and perfectly aligned with the mood of the season. Collaborating with Anchal continues to be one of the most meaningful aspect of my work, and this campaign is no exception. If you want to learn more about the brand, check out “Stitched In Strength” a personal project that dives deep into Anchal and the lives of women who have been championed through difficulty, supported through craft, and given a chance at a better life. (LINK IN BIO) Photography: @claycookphoto | Re-Touch: @jordanhartleyretouch | Producer: @caclines | Creative Director: @meclines | DIT: @adammescan | First Assistant: @jonchiphoto | Anchal Assistant Producer: @namaste_mel @ashleighbakken | Anchal Assistant: @claireemcm | Hair & Makeup: @beccaschellmakeupartist | Talent: @aeniahlanae | Location: @hiholodge
2025-10-10
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Around this time last year, we spent three intensive days photographing a social campaign for American Beverage Marketers and their brands — @finestcall_us, @masterofmixes_, @real_infused_exotics, and @agalimaorganic. Each product required its own distinct creative, location, and lighting approach. The creative direction evolved across the shoot, and shifted from deep, dramatic aesthetics to bright, snapshot setups, then finishing with warm, organic tones. This selection represents just a small portion of what we captured. While the project presented some challenges, my team and I worked tirelessly to deliver on the vision. Thank you to the entire production for such a fun and fantastic project! Photography: @claycookphoto | Re-Touch: @jordanhartleyretouch | Agency: @redtagdigital | Creative & Production: @anabrodas | DIT: @adammescan | First Assistant: @jonchiphoto | Third Assistant: @zb_retouching | PA: @lily.kmoseley Devin Fry | Hair & Makeup: @laurensuttonhmua | Wardrobe: @styleiconllc | Mixologist: @deanserneels Aaron Miller | Food & Beverage Styling: @fabiane_lash | Talent Agency: @heymantalentagency
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This time last year, I had the incredible opportunity to work with @visitpa and photograph their summer tourism campaign, “The Great American Getaway”. Over the course of a week, we crisscrossed the state, capturing the distinct character and charm of places like Jim Thorpe, the Poconos, Ohiopyle, and Philadelphia. The final images could be seen on billboards, bus wraps, wallscapes, and train station takeovers throughout neighboring states, helping to share the campaign far and wide. While it was a fast-paced project, it was a true privilege to work alongside such an experienced and dedicated crew. Photography: @claycookphoto | Re-Touch: @jordanhartleyretouch | Agency: Red House Communications | Production: @alkemyx | DIT: @adammescan | First Assistant: @jonchiphoto
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Behind the scenes of our project with @herradurateq. The creative ask was a big one—requiring extensive pre-production and an eye for detail. We didn’t just need to recreate a location in a studio—we had to make it feel real. That meant carefully coordinating talent, wardrobe, food, cocktails, props, and lighting to bring the environment to life. Thankfully, I had the A-team. Now, let’s get technical: we used a total of 7 strobes, each placed with intention to add subtle layers of light and depth throughout the scene. * The key light was a @profoto D2 bare bulb modified with an 1/4-stop CTO through a wood Matthews Cucoloris. This light provided the majority of the hard light in the scene. * The fill light was a D2 modified with an 1/4-stop CTO bouncing into a Matthews 12x12 ultrabounce. This filled the entire scene with soft light. * We placed a Profoto D2 modified with an 1/4-stop CTO in front of the Cucoloris. This provided an additional push of hard light on the product. * We placed two Profoto B10s set at low power modified with a 5º Honeycomb Grid. This kissed the front of cocktails and bottle with light. * We placed a Profoto D2 modified with an 1/4-stop CTO into a 4x4 1/2 Grid Diffusion behind the set. This light raked our stock city background fabric and push light through the window slats onto the interior wall. Yes, you can see the city background through the window slats. * We also ran various plants, bounce cards, v-flats, floppys and flags to shape and control all our light and composition. On our second set, we flipped the lighting approach—shifting from full backlight to hard light in a more simplified setup. All images were captured using a @phaseone medium format camera paired with a Schneider-Kreuznach LS 40-80mm f/4-5.6 lens. For video village and crew monitors, we relied on a fully wireless setup powered by the @teradek Ace 750 system, running entirely on portable @anker_official batteries. Our crew typically has access to three @viewsonic monitors, with a larger @colorpro monitor reserved for the client—all positioned within a few hundred feet of our @inovativ DIT workstation. Check out the final images in my feed!
2025-10-10
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Behind the scenes of our project with @makersmark, photographing the executive team for the release of Maker’s Mark’s first-ever American wheat whisky, Star Hill Farm Whisky. While scouting the Maker’s Mark property, we had a clear objective and a warm, natural look we aimed to achieve. We’d earmarked a specific field that backed perfectly into a treeline and would be beautifully backlit at sunrise on the day of the shoot. But—as I’ve learned over 15 years in this job—you have to be ready to adapt and pivot at the last minute. When we arrived before sunrise (in total darkness), we discovered the entire field had been accidentally cut. So, we scrambled to find an alternative—ideally something that still worked with the direction of the morning light. Thankfully, just a short walk from our original location, we found a patch of overgrown grass. It wasn’t perfect, but it was close enough for us to confidently set up basecamp. Now, let’s break down the outdoor setup. For the most part, the sun did the heavy lifting—we just shaped it to fit the scene. That said, we still needed a touch of fill light on our subjects’ faces. To do that, we used a @profoto B10 modified with an 39” @elinchrom_ltd Rotalux Deep Octabox that followed the flow of sunlight. We also added another Profoto B10, this one modified with a 53” Elinchrom Rotalux Octabox. To tame the harsh light once the sun crested the horizon, we placed a 24”x36” @matthewsgrip Open End Scrim to soften direct exposure on faces. A @photekusa Sunbuster 84” umbrella acted purely as a courtesy—mainly so I could see the scene without getting blasted by the sun. All video village and crew monitors were powered through a @teradek Ace 750 wireless system and ran entirely on portable, battery-powered setups using @anker_official batteries. We typically have two to three @viewsonic monitors available for crew, along with one large @colorpro monitor for the client, all positioned within a few hundred feet of our @inovativ DIT workstation.
2025-10-10
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Behind the scenes from our production with @kenmarkeyewear and their new campaign for @paradigmeyewear. With this project, we really tried to break through some creative barriers in the eyewear space and do something different. So, let’s break it down. The key light was a @profoto D2 modified with an Avenger 12x12 frame with a @matthewsgrip 1-Stop Silk. We used a Matthews 18”x48” Cutter to block the light from scraping the background. The kick light was a Profoto 20.5” White Softlight Beauty Dish Reflector with a 25º Honeycomb Grid. The light was then diffused with a Matthews 24” x 36” 1/4 Stop Silk Scrim. Although it acted like a kick, it was the brightest source of light. The fill light behind camera was a Profoto D2 bounced into a 12x12 frame with a Matthews Ultrabounce. This was a very nuanced ratio of light, that required some meticulous testing! All video village/crew monitors are transmitted with a @teradek Ace 750 system and are all portable and battery-powered with @anker_official batteries. We have at least 2-3 @viewsonic monitors for crew and 1 large @colorpro monitor for client that can be placed within several hundred feet of our @inovativ DIT workstation. Thank you to my awesome crew @jonchiphoto, @ryangrantphoto, and @adammescan for building this setup!
2025-10-10
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We kickstarted 2025 with a super fun creative collaboration with @kenmarkeyewear to develop a new campaign for their brand @paradigmeyewear. Thank you to my crew and the team at Kenmark Eyewear for the hard work to bring this concept to life! Stay tuned for BTS! - Photography: @claycookphoto | Re-Touch: @jordanhartleyretouch | Cinematography: @louiedercqu | Creative: @madebymal @sarahbethmayton @meganmraz | DIT: @adammescan | First Assistant: @jonchiphoto | PA: @ryangrantphoto | Hair & Makeup: @lambseyreevesmakeup | Production Design, Prop & Wardrobe Styling: @fabiane_lash @cybellep | Talent: @malii_boo @minwoo.jo @theblockagency
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