Hey, I’m Jay.
A documentarian and imperfect practitioner of a non-extractive storytelling methodology. My projects focus on memory, identity, indigeneity, and environment.
a moment before the sisters sowed a diverse collection of maíz into the rich soil, high in the mountains. she must have heard me slipping into the ditch, cursing under my breath. i hadn't made a beautiful photo yet that day. she locked eyes with me and offered a gentle smile. thank goodness.
the youngest, offering up a bag full of his grandfather's amaranth harvest. later that day, he sat on his abuelo's knee as the man shared stories of the mexican revolution.
twins holding a bunch of aleisi -- some of the rarest rice in the world -- harvested by their mother on the edge of the Amazon rainforest. this rice descends from the grains braided into Ma Paanza's hair before she liberated herself from the plantation and joined other maroons in the jungle. the twins descend from her.
a proud seed keeper.
in palawan, the rocks can speak.
a floor of maíz.
I’m an American of Filipino, CHamoru, and Western European descent.
Born in Kansas City, MO, and currently living & creating in Atlanta, Georgia. I’ve photographed, filmed, listened, observed, recorded, or archived in 30+ countries, reservations, and tribal territories.
Learning to see & savor the stories in front of me as much as those far beyond. I favor projects that take several orbits to complete, but have started playing with concepts that take just a few rotations. Especially fond of mangrove, wetland, and tropical jungle ecosystems.
Fascinated by projects of preservation and restoration.
Currently screening
Force of Water
We transport you to two corners of the globe — Ecuador and Uganda — where rural villages band together to address their own local water crises.
This film premiered in New York City at the 2024 NYC Climate Week. It has been screened in Portland (OR), at MIT in Cambridge, and at Duke University. Click here to see where the film will be next or to request a screening.
Made in partnership with Green Empowerment. Directed by Nathan Johnson, written and produced by me.
Conscientious of the extractive nature of my profession, serious about addressing and reversing the harms of my professional predecessors and own actions, and intentional (but imperfect) in my reciprocity with the subjects and the environment.
I research and create from a place of curiosity and advocacy.
Projects are becoming more multimedia in nature as I challenge myself in new forms of expression and contemplation. I tend to work best in small teams of people who are solid at project management and who don’t attempt to whittle my ideas down as they flow.
Can fly solo when needed, but prefer to create with a community.
Some I’m working on right now
The main themes of my work are memory, identity, indigeneity, and the environment.
These lead to a broad collection of topics, like: agriculture, indigenous foodways, and migration, gun violence and mass incarceration, origin stories and urban gardens, interstate infrastructure and salmon runs, bison and seed banks.
Recovering from an addiction to alcohol. Not recovering from addiction to books, ideas, and old stories. Please enjoy the latin-afro-ndn-hip hop rhythms around me.
Click the button below to reach out or explore working together.
