Clear Blue Photo

Clear Blue Photo Clear Blue Photo is a small Calgary based company run by Darryl MacDonald. With over 25 years in th We also offer a host industrial and consulting services.

Clear Blue Photo is a full spectrum aerial services company with a fleet of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV's / drones) to meet your needs and budget. We have been a trusted aerial service provider in Western Canada for over 5 years. We provide a host of services including cinematography services for movie production, television, sporting events as well as public or private events and live streamin

g. With over 25 years in film production and photography experience we use UAV's (drones) to provide you with perspectives that were previously either cost prohibitive or simply impossible. We work with film production companies, photographers, television networks, sporting events and individuals to provide stunning aerial imagery. We offer a variety of setups to meet all budget requirements from small maneuverable 4K systems to heavier lift 6K setups that can be operated by both a pilot and camera man separately to ensure smooth shots and perfect angles.

Happy 100th Birthday to the legendary Sir David Attenborough! Thank you for sharing the wonders of the natural world and...
05/09/2026

Happy 100th Birthday to the legendary Sir David Attenborough! Thank you for sharing the wonders of the natural world and inspiring generations to be curious and in awe of our planet and the creatures that live on it! I am ever grateful to have had the opportunity to shoot alongside some immensely talented crews for several of his series over the years.

Here are some images taken on those shoots.

I found out his week that a couple of my images were shortlisted for the Natural History Museums Wildlife Photographer o...
02/03/2026

I found out his week that a couple of my images were shortlisted for the Natural History Museums Wildlife Photographer of the year competition. Here is the story behind one of the photos that I entered that did not make the final cut.

This photo was taken on an uninhabited subantarctic island in the Sothern most region of Patagonia. Living in a tent for several weeks with temperatures averaging 6-10C and winds regularly gusting over 100km/hr. To get to this location involved hiking several km's through a forest with no trail with over 1000ft of elevation to a cliff near a penguin colony on the other side of the island. These female Rockhopper penguins are coming in from hunting in the ocean for several days bringing back food to their partners and new born chicks. I wanted to capture the relation of the size of the wave to the penguins but it wasn't safe to get on the same level as it would have required scaling down a cliff into the wash zone. I took this from the cliffs above using an 800mm lens with a camera on a tripod. I wanted the penguin at the top of the wave and I have almost 2000 variations of this photo but this was the only one that captured what I had pictured n my mind. The other photos are cool but very sad this one was not chosen.

Whale sharks, oceanic whitetip sharks, and manta and devil rays — some of our planet’s most iconic species and cornersto...
11/08/2025

Whale sharks, oceanic whitetip sharks, and manta and devil rays — some of our planet’s most iconic species and cornerstones of ocean biodiversity — are vanishing.

The reality is stark: these iconic cornerstones of marine life are in freefall. Their numbers are plummeting due to unsustainable trade:
• The majestic Whale Shark has lost more than half its global population.
• The often-misunderstood Oceanic Whitetip Shark is now classified as Critically Endangered after declines of 80–90%.
• In some spots, Rays have nearly disappeared entirely.
We are witnessing an ecosystem unraveling because of the demand for fins and gills.
This November, world leaders will gather at the 20th global summit to decide whether to give these species the highest level of protection: Appendix I. A successful vote would ban international trade and mark a historic milestone for shark and ray conservation.

Add your voice and help protect these irreplaceable species today: only.one/act/cites-2025

Wildlife Conservation Society
Blue Resources Trust
The Shark Trust
Shark Conservation Fund
Manta Trust

I have been incredibly fortunate over the years to have had the opportunity to work alongside scientists around the glob...
04/28/2025

I have been incredibly fortunate over the years to have had the opportunity to work alongside scientists around the globe on some amazing initiatives. Recently I joined scientists with on a research expedition engaged in the first-ever comprehensive ecological surveys of Latham Island, a remote island off the coast of Tanzania and Zanzibar. The research identified this small uninhabited island as a significant marine biodiversity hotspot – 60,000+ seabirds, critically endangered sharks and rays, and reefs teeming with fish. The findings—gathered by researchers from WCS and partner institutions like Université de la Reunion, the Ministry of Blue Economy and Fisheries in Zanzibar, and the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries in Mainland Tanzania—will be used to shape plans for Tanzania’s first offshore Marine Protected Area (MPA), which would secure long-term protection for this remote biodiversity hotspot.

These are a few images from that expedition. I am always incredibly grateful for opportunities like this and in awe of the dedication and hard work from the teams working on these conservation efforts.

Follow to see more about this and other amazing projects.

The America's Patagonia episode aired today.  This was one of the more physically challenging shoots I've been on.  Haul...
04/14/2025

The America's Patagonia episode aired today. This was one of the more physically challenging shoots I've been on. Hauling over 1000 pounds of equipment to an uninhabited island in Patagonia to capture an intimate peek into the life of the rock hopper penguin. No shower for 3 weeks, temperatures averaging 6 -10C and winds between 60 and 100km/hr. Congrats to one of the hardest working teams I've had the pleasure to work with!

Next week the final episode will air showing some behind the scenes from the series and the challenges of working in the field.

Been living on a boat (mostly in the water) near a remote island off the coast of Zanzibar the last week doing some cons...
12/03/2024

Been living on a boat (mostly in the water) near a remote island off the coast of Zanzibar the last week doing some conservation work with the WCS. Thanks to the team for all your support and hard work, excited to see the results of your efforts!

Got to work with an amazing crew on a sweaty sequence for this one.  Really excited to see the series! Another Attenboro...
10/28/2024

Got to work with an amazing crew on a sweaty sequence for this one. Really excited to see the series! Another Attenborough epic!

One continent, endless wonders 😮 Subscribe and 🔔 to the BBC 👉 https://bit.ly/BBC...

I was excited  to see the email telling that this image had won  Nature Though Your Lens Photography competition.  They ...
10/04/2024

I was excited to see the email telling that this image had won Nature Though Your Lens Photography competition. They printed the image and put it up for display at a festival in Toronto before sending me the print! This is one of my favorite underwear whale images because the clouds look like a thought bubble :)

I was excited  to see the email telling that this image had won Canon Canada's Nature Though Your Lens Photography compe...
10/04/2024

I was excited to see the email telling that this image had won Canon Canada's Nature Though Your Lens Photography competition. They printed the image and put it up for display at a festival in Toronto before sending me the print! This is one of my favorite underwater whale images because the clouds look like a thought bubble :)

Another trailer drop today, got to work on a few episodes for this.  Congrats to all the teams, looks like it's going to...
10/03/2024

Another trailer drop today, got to work on a few episodes for this. Congrats to all the teams, looks like it's going to be epic!

The world will never be the same once you've seen it from below. Dive into Our Oceans, a thrilling five-episode series, narrated by Barack Obama, that invite...

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