The blog of adventure photographer Michael Clark

The 2011 PDN Great Outdoors Photography Competition

08.02.11

I just got the latest September 2011 issue of PDN (Photo District News) in the mail today and my image from Waimea Bay (above) was a finalist in the 2011 PDN Great Outdoors Photography Competition. I am honored to be among the outstanding photographers whose images were selected for the winner’s gallery. This image was shot during one of the most amazing trips of my career on the morning of the 2009/2010 Quicksilver in memory of Eddie Aikau big wave surfing competition, which took place on December 8, 2009 in Waimea Bay on the north shore of Oahu. That day saw waves roll into Waimea Bay that had faces upwards of 50-feet tall. It was the biggest swell to hit he north shore of Oahu in over 40-years. This wave rolled into the bay just as the sun broke through the early morning clouds and I was lucky enough to be ready and shooting when it exploded about two hundred yards from the shore.

The judges in this years contest were Amy Berkley (Field & Stream), Nick Hamilton (TransWorld SNOWboarding), Amy Feitelberg (Outside), Elayna Rocha (Y&R Brands Irvine) and Grant Ellis (Surfer Magazine). My thanks to them and PDN for including my image among the finalists. If you would like to read more about my experiences shooting the Quicksilver in memory of Eddie Aikau please download my Spring 2010 Newsletter. You can also view a web gallery of images from that trip (including this image) on my website here.

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On Assignment: Red Bull X-Alps Paraglider Honza Rejmanek

07.27.11

Earlier this year I shot an assignment for Red Bull with X-Alps contender Honza Rejmanek (above) and fellow paragliding phenom Chris Santacroce in Salt Lake City, Utah. it was a full on adventure and I even shot air-to-air with the paragliders. Right now (as of this posting), Honza is still racing in the Red Bull X-Alps competition in Europe.

The X-Alps competition is an epic adventure race where thirty-two of the world’s best endurance athletes and paragliding pilots “race non-stop through the Alps to the Mediterranean Sea, with just a paraglider and a pair of hiking boots to help them, and with their every is move tracked by advanced technology and broadcasted to an audience of millions. The race goes on day and night, sun or snow, until 48 hours after the first pilot reaches the finish in Manaco. Motorized transport is forbidden but they can select a supporter to help supply food, equipment and information.” The racers cover over 530 miles (850 km), fly in extremely dangerous conditions and end up hiking huge portions of the race with a minimal kit. This isn’t a race for the meek. This is a race that rewards good planning and tactics; one mistake can mean losing the race.

If you’d like to follow the race online you can see the latest updates, including videos and diaries from the racers at www.redbullxalps.com.

Look for a behind the scenes feature on this assignment in the next issue of the Newsletter. But right now you can check out some images from this assignment and others with the Red Bull Air Force on my website in the Projects section entitled Red Bull Air Force.

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La Sportiva Ascent Ad

07.12.11

I started out shooting predominantly rock climbing and mountaineering. For the first four or five years of my career I shot little else. It was my passion then and continues to be one of my great passions, though now I shoot a much larger variety of adventure sports. As you might have noticed, I am not shooting as much climbing as I used to but every once in a while I get out and shoot some climbing for select clients. Even so, La Sportiva, a manufacturer of fine footwear for all types of climbing, has been a client of mine for quite some time now.

As you can see at right, La Sportiva decided to celebrate 80 years in business by producing an ad with some of their classic images in it and also with some of their most well-known sponsored athletes. I am honored to have an image included in the ad of rock climber Roxanna Brock, which is dead center in the second row down from the top. This image was shot in Red Rocks near Las Vegas, Nevada and features Roxanna on the route Spring Break (5.11+) in Ice Box Canyon.

Of course there are a lot of other fun images that I recognize from my peers. Many of these images are iconic images of routes and climbers that redefined the sport of rock climbing. If you would like to read the captions for all of the images they are listed on the La Sportiva website here.

My thanks to La Sportiva for creating such amazing footwear and for being such a good client all those years.

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Participate in Clif Bar’s “Meet the Moment” Campaign

06.16.11

Clif bar recently contacted me about their “Meet the Moment” campaign and asked if I could help in promoting it. And of course, since it is a cool campaign that helps to fund five different outdoor industry organizations like the Access Fund, the Surfrider Foundation and others and gives adventurous folks the opportunity to win a free trip (with $36,000 in prizes to fund said trip) it is a great campaign to help support.

Hence, if you are reading this I encourage you to head on over to the “Meet the Moment” website and contribute and image and a phrase. For every person that enters an image Clif Bar will give $5 to the organization of your choosing. You can see my entry above with the tag line “Life is all about Passion. Take the leap.”

If you need any extra incentive. Clif Bar has offered up a few “CLIF Bar gift packages” (see below) for me to give away for those of you that enter an image and then comment about your entry here on the blog. So, leave a comment and I’ll pick two names at random on July 15th, 2011. I’ll contact those of you that win (please put your email address in the comment) and I’ll forward your information to Clif Bar so they can send you the gift.

So, once again head on over to www.meetthemoment.com to submit an image, enter the contest and select which outdoor industry organizations get $5 courtesy of Clif Bar.

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Adventure Photography Workshop

06.16.11

I just thought I’d post some info on my Adventure Photography Workshop that I will be doing at the Maine Media Workshops in August later this summer. This will be an action packed workshop that will be fun for any photographer interested in outdoor and/or sports photography. Below is an image of a PDF flyer that the workshops created, if you would like to download that flyer you can do so by clicking here.

Here is the info on this workshop with links to the Maine Media Workshops page where you can register for the workshop. If you have any questions about this workshop please feel free to contact me.

Dates: August 21-27, 2011

Location: Maine Media Workshops, Rockport, ME

For more information or to register by phone, call (877) 577-7700.

Adventure sports photography can be an adventure in itself, involving breathtaking locations, extreme conditions and working with elite athletes in risky situations. It requires a host of skills, including technical excellence with the camera, familiarity with the sport and the ability to keep your goals and safety in mind throughout.

Designed for intermediate to experienced photographers, this workshop concentrates on creating unique adventure sports and lifestyle images. We focus on outdoor sports like: kayaking, mountain biking and trail running. Using athletes as our models and Maine’s coastal landscape as our backdrop, we explore innovative ways to capture the essence of each sport. Topics covered during the week include research and preparation, composition and camera angles, equipment selection and use, using natural light, fill flash and battery-powered strobes, and autofocus techniques.

We also learn how to work with athletes who are putting themselves at risk and how to capture the intensity of the action. Each day finds us out in new locations and in the classroom editing and critiquing images, and meeting one-on-one with Michael. In addition, Michael shares his insights and experiences in the adventure marketplace, including career development, portfolios and how to shoot for stock, editorial, and commercial clients.

Students are required to shoot digitally and laptops are encouraged (highly recommended).

Who Should Attend: Advanced Amateurs and Professionals

For more information visit the Maine Media Workshops website.

Tuition & Fees: Tuition: $1,195.00

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Smartpress.com Interview

06.01.11

Late last fall I did an interview with Sean Taylor at SmartPress.com. I had forgotten all about it until I got an email from him just the other day and found the interview on their website. As it might be interesting for a lot of my readers I thought I’d post a link to the interview here on my blog. Click here to read the interview on Smartpress.com.

The interview talks about my work, the gear I use, my influences and what it takes to make a living as a pro photographer among other topics. My thanks to Sean Taylor for contacting me and publishing the interview.

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Spring 2011 Newsletter

05.25.11

The Spring 2011 issue of the Michael Clark Photography Newsletter is now available for download. If you’d like to sign up for the Newsletter just drop me an email and I’ll add you to the mailing list.

This issue includes an editorial with recent news and information on the newly revamped Newsletter, an equipment review of two of my favorite camera bags by LowePro, an interview with Sabine Meyer of National Geographic, a perspective article entitled “Staying Relevant” and much more.

The Michael Clark Photography Newsletter goes out to over 5,000 thousand photo editors, photographers and photo enthusiasts around the world. You can download the Spring 2011 issue on my website at:

http://www.michaelclarkphoto.com/spring_2011.pdf

If you’d like to check out back issues of the newsletter they are available here.

Please note that the newsletter is best viewed in the latest Adobe Acrobat reader which is available for free at www.adobe.com.

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