Clay Cook

Name: Clay Cook
Address: 2520 S. 3rd Street Unit 106, Louisville, KY, 40208, US
Telephone: +15027271574

An award-winning photographer and director, specializing in portrait and lifestyle advertising photography. www.claycookphoto.com

Every photograph begins with an idea. The job of a photographer is to not only capture the vision, but manipulate it into art, bigger than life and beyond any initial expectations. Photographer, Clay Cook, has learned the importance of going the extra mile, after a long, arduous run in the music business. As a result, his wisdom, field experience and work ethic has pushed him further into an inspi

ring career in Advertising and Editorial photography. Over a short period of time, Clay has shaped creative projects with brands such as: Comcast, Uproxx, Livestrong, NFL, Papa John's Pizza, Red Bull and Vince Camuto. In addition, he has brought to life, worldwide assignments for publications such as Forbes, Popular Mechanics, Adweek, USA Today, ESPN, Modern Salon and Inc. Along with the desire to offer loyal solutions for every project, Clay can spread the word with the help of a large social media and blogging community. Start with an idea and Clay will lead it to a roaring finish line.

04/09/2026

I don’t shoot editorial as often as I used to, but I still love it. It’s where I started, and there’s a freedom to it that’s hard to replicate.

A selection from a recent editorial for Market Watch on the ground of Buffalo Trace Distillery. We spent a frosty morning wandering the distillery, documenting the quiet rhythm and craft behind the scenes. We also had the opportunity to photograph legendary Master Distiller Harlan Wheatley. It’s always fun swapping stories and talking bourbon shop with people who are so deeply ingrained in the spirit of Kentucky and its history

02/06/2026

Behind the scenes from our production for KMAC Couture and their 2026 campaign. This year centered on the idea of “ancestor”—asking us to look both backward and forward at once. The result leans into something ghostlike: layered, suspended, and placeless. Let’s break it down.

Initially, the setup was simple and straightforward. To achieve the “angelic” look, most of the light was projected from behind the model. We set up three Profoto D2s behind a Matthews Studio Equipment, Inc. 1-stop silk, creating a silky rim light that wrapped around the subject. A white seamless paper was placed on the floor to maintain a complete whiteout.

For Fill, we boomed a Profoto D2 behind an Avenger Grip 8×8 frame with a Matthews 1-stop silk. This added just a kiss of soft light, helping to gently lift the model and the wardrobe without breaking the ethereal feel.

We then pushed the image further with plastic wrap and Scotch tape over the lens, creating a distinctly dreamy quality. To echo the wardrobe, we introduced a splash of royal blue by aiming a Profoto B10 gelled with a Rosco blue sheet toward the lens (and the plastic wrap). This produced blue highlights along the edges of the model. Diffusion paper placed beneath the lens bounced light back upward, creating a soft gradient along the bottom edge of the frame.

Lastly, I wanted to introduce an added sense of motion using rear-curtain sync. Rear-curtain sync is a flash setting that fires just before the shutter closes, rather than when it opens. As the model moved dynamically through various poses, I pushed and pulled the lens zoom and intentionally shook the camera in different directions, building the ghostlike, layered effect directly in-camera.

All video village and crew monitors were powered through a Teradeck Ace 750 wireless system and ran entirely on portable, battery-powered setups using Anker batteries. We typically run two to three ViewSonic monitors for the crew, along with one large client monitor, all positioned within a few hundred feet of our Inovativ DIT workstation.

02/03/2026

Every year, I get to build something purely from instinct. This year, KMAC Couture centered on the idea of “ancestor”—asking us to look both backward and forward at once. Rather than nostalgia, I wanted to create an image that holds multiple timelines simultaneously—where memory, identity, and possibility overlap. The result leans into something ghostlike: layered, suspended, and placeless. A visual meditation on how the past moves through us, and how the future is shaped by what we carry forward.

Thank you to Kris Thompson and the entire team at KMAC Contemporary Art Museum for the trust and creative freedom to explore this idea, and to my crew for helping bring a concept rooted in the intangible into physical form. Behind-the-scenes breakdown to follow.

Photography: Clay Cook
Re-Touch: Jordan Hartley
Hair: Sarah Marie
Makeup: Caleb Lopez-Yeske
Model: A'Nya Winburn
Wardrobe Design: Christa Watson
First Assistant: Ryan Grant
Digital Tech: Adam Mescan
Intern: Blake Peterson

12/31/2025

2025 wasn’t about acceleration—it was about recalibration. Becoming a new Dad while running a commercial photography business shifted my sense of balance, replacing the single-minded focus I once relied on with something more layered and human. Slowing down created space for reflection and connection, while also forcing a rethink of time, energy, and ambition. Prioritizing my wellbeing became less about doing more and more about alignment—about shaping how I show up for my work, my family, and myself with greater care, communication and clarity.

As I look ahead to 2026 and 15 years in photography, I’m carrying forward a steadier mindset rooted in presence, vulnerability, and gratitude, grounded in the understanding that progress doesn’t always look like momentum. Still here. Still curious. Still learning.

This year, my team and I captured over 75,000 photographs and dozens of hours of motion for clients like Tempur-Pedic, Maker’s Mark, Baird and Kentucky Tourism. Walk with me as I review my photographs and memories of this past year. ---> https://www.clay-cook.com/blog/2025-review

12/25/2025

Wherever you are in the world, Colleen and I wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! Thank you for looking and thank you for listening! ❤️

10/07/2025

Last month, we had the opportunity to photograph the Fall-Winter 2025 product mix for Anchal Project 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. https://claycookphoto.com/Stitched-In-Strength

Photography: Clay Cook | Re-Touch: Jordan Hartley | Producer: Colleen Clines | Creative Director: Maggie Clines | DIT: Adam Mescan | First Assistant: Jonathon Chi | PA: Luke Franke | Anchal Assistant Producer: Mel Simon | Anchal Assistant: Claire McMahon | Hair & Makeup: Becca Shell | Talent: Aeniah Lanae

09/26/2025

I’ve been fortunate to work with Kentucky Tourism and Kentucky State Parks 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—every 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. These projects have 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 dedication continues to make this work possible.

Photography: Clay Cook
Re-Touch: Jordan Hartley, Thomas Ingersoll
Agency & Creative: Miles Partnership
Production: Melissa McNerney, Dylan Edgar, Bobby Marinelli, Samuel Ibach
DIT: Adam Mescan
First Assistant: Jonathon Chi
Third Assistant: Zachary Browning, Ryan Grant
Hair & Makeup, Wardrobe: Lambsey Reeves, Leslie Humphrey

S/O to Leif, Chris and the entire crew with Pathfinder Films—thank you all for being kind, patient and always open to creative collaboration.

09/25/2025

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 Kentucky Tourism and Kentucky State Parks 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: Clay Cook
Re-Touch: Jordan Hartley
Agency & Creative: Miles Partnership
Production: Melissa McNerney, Dylan Edgar, Bobby Marinelli, Samuel Ibach
DIT: Adam Mescan
First Assistant: Jonathon Chi
Third Assistant: Zachary Browning, Ryan Grant
Hair & Makeup, Wardrobe: Lambsey Reeves, Leslie Humphrey

S/O to Leif, Chris and the entire crew with Pathfinder Films—thank you all for being kind, patient and always open to creative collaboration.

09/04/2025

Around this time last year, we spent three intensive days photographing a social campaign for American Beverage Marketers and their brands — Finest Call, Master Of Mixes, Real, and Agalima. 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: Clay Cook
Re-Touch: Jordan Hartley
Agency: RedTag
Production: Ana Rodas
DIT: Adam Mescan
First Assistant: Jonathon Chi
Third Assistant: Zachary Browning
PA: Lily Moseley Devin Fry
Hair & Makeup: Lauren Sutton
Wardrobe: Andre Wilson
Food & Beverage Styling: Fabiane Lash
Mixologist: Dean Serneels Aaron Miller
Talent Agency: Heyman Talent

08/06/2025

Behind the scenes of our project with Tequila Herradura. 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 Phase One 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 batteries. Our crew typically has access to three ViewSonic monitors, with a larger 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!

08/04/2025

We closed out 2024 photographing a 2025 summer campaign for Tequila Herradura. Over a single day, we captured product and talent across two custom-built sets—including a full studio recreation of a Mexican cantina. The creative direction called for a warm, sun-drenched atmosphere—rich in orange and brown—to complement the cocktails and evoke the spirit of an evening in Mexico. Fortunately, my previous travels through Guadalajara provided a visual memory bank to help bring that mood to life with authenticity. I couldn’t have done it without my incredible team—this one took a village, and I’m proud of what we created together. BTS to follow!

Photography: Clay Cook
Re-Touch: Jordan Hartley
Creative: Chad Buehner
Agency: PowerScoppechio
Production: Stuart McWhirter Kelsey Forren
DIT: Adam Mescan
First Assistant: Jonathon Chi
Third Assistant: Zachary Browning
PA: Léandi Knox
Hair & Makeup: Lambsey Reeves
Wardrobe: Olivia Braun
Prop & Production Design: Sara Rounsavall
Food & Beverage Styling: Fabiane Lash
Crafty: Sandy Hack
Talent Agency: Heyman Talent

Address

2520 S. 3rd Street Unit 106
Louisville, KY
40208

Telephone

+15027271574

Website

http://claycookphoto.com/

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