The blog of adventure photographer Michael Clark

Have your own adventure at the end of the world

12.16.10

As one of the photographers who has covered the Wenger Patagonian Expedition Race the last three years the organizers asked me to be a judge for their photo competition, which is sponsored by National Geographic Traveller (UK), and the winner gets an all expenses paid trip to shoot the race in February of 2011. The official rules and regulations are on the Wenger Patagonian Expedition Race website.

“The Wenger Patagonian Expedition Race has teamed up with National Geographic Traveller (UK) this month to offer one race fan the opportunity of a lifetime – to travel to Chilean Patagonia in February to be an official photographer for the 2011 race.

The ninth edition of the world’s toughest and wildest race takes place in the fjords and mountains around the Southern Continental Icefield and this competition offers the opportunity to photograph the entire race from start to finish – and have an adventure at the same time.

It is the first competition of its kind run by National Geographic Traveller, one of the world’s leading travel magazines, and it has been used to launch the UK edition which will be available from December.

Race director Stjepan Pavicic said: “This is an incredible competition that will give one lucky winner the chance to experience some of the stunning unexplored parts of this region – but we hope that it will connect all readers with the race and its environmental mission.”

The subject of the competition, which will be judged by Pavicic, race photographer Michael Clark and National Geographic Traveller UK art editor Chris Hudson, is ‘Adventure’ and entrants must submit three images that depict the meaning of the word Adventure.

The winner will get to travel with the main organisers group and photograph the teams in the competition in a variety of activities including kayaking, trekking and mountain biking and their images will be used to illustrate an article in the magazine later next year.”

For more details on the photo competition and how to enter click here.

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Fall 2010 Newsletter

11.18.10

The Fall 2010 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 discussing this issue as the 10th Anniversary issue of the Newsletter, an equipment review of my favorite camera bags including bags from LowePro and hard shell cases from Pelican, a special portfolio section detailing a shoot with some elite Kenyan runners, a perspective article on “The Definition of Success” 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 Fall 2010 issue on my website at:

http://www.michaelclarkphoto.com/fall_2010.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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Phenomenal article on the photo industry over on Aphotoeditor.com

11.12.10

It seems like I have been having a lot of discussions about the photo industry these days with other photographers, some of whom are top notch big name photographers whose photos we see all the time. Instead of writing a blog post detailing all of those discussions I thought I’d point you to a phenomenal blog post that Rob Haggart just put up on his blog APhotoEditor.com where he interviews commercial photographer Clint Clemens. To read that interview click here.

Clint basically talks about the influx of new photographers in the industry and how that has affected supply and demand, and also how the current economic troubles have forced companies to become more efficient. Add to that the growing Chinese fascination with photography and the supply and demand quotient is about to change again radically, and not for the better for the aspiring pro photographer.

Clint basically covers all aspects of the photo business right now including barriers to entry, motion (video), teaching workshops, finding assignments and the overall current state of the industry. I haven’t seen any other blog post or article that is this insightful anywhere – so that is why I am writing a blog post about it. If you are a pro or are looking to throw your hat into the ring of pro photography I highly advise reading Rob’s blog post. Thanks Rob!

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A Sad day for the world of Surfing – RIP Andy Irons

11.02.10

I just learned that famed surfer Andy Irons died of Dengue Fever this morning in a hotel room in Dallas, Texas on his way back from Puerto Rico. He was 32. As someone who has had several close calls and by all accounts should be dead already (read my behind the scenes article “In God’s Hands”) I can only say it is a shock. My condolences to his family and friends. It is a great loss to the surfing community and to all of us.

Sitting on my desk right now are prints of the above image of Andy in a rare shorebreak barrel in Waimea Bay during the Eddie Aikau. Andy saw this image when it was sent to him via my good friend Brian Bielmann, who was a close friend. He asked that I make a print of the image for him and I was waiting to hear back from Andy on which address to mail the prints to. They will still go out to his family but this is a reminder that the end can come at any time. May you rest in peace Andy. I am sorry I wasn’t able to give these prints to you. My prayers go out to his family.

For more information on this tragic news I will direct everyone to TransWorld Surf Magazine’s website.

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Thoughts from the Photo Plus Expo

11.02.10

I just got back from Photo Plus in New york City. It is one of the biggest photo Expo’s in North America and all the big manufacturers are there showing off their wares. In addition, there are quite a few photographers, myself included, presenting on a variety of topics related to marketing, lighting, shooting and digital workflow. I was presenting for Manfrotto and Elinchrom. As you can see in the image above there was a good turnout of around 70 or more people who watched the presentation, which was on High Contrast Black and White Portraits. I demonstrated my technique for shooting high contrast black and white portraits using Elinchrom Quadras, Skyports and a Lastolite Hi-Lite background. My thanks to the folks at Manfrotto for all their help and for including me in the mix.

In addition to my presentation, I had a truck load of meetings with other clients and sponsors. Of note, Elinchrom has a new ring light flashhead coming out which is specifically made for the Quadras. And it sells for about $575, which is far cheaper than anything else I have seen in it’s class. Lastolite also had a new Ezybox Hotshoe 24×24-inch softbox designed for speedlights that looks fantastic for photographers on the go.

LowePro’s new Street and Field system looks like a home run as well. Adventure Photography inherently works best with a modular camera bag system and this is sure to be a winner. Stay tuned for a review of this system in an upcoming issue of the Newsletter.

Nikon’s new D7000 was also garnering a lot of attention and the new 1080p HD video with autofocus is a great setup. In terms of lenses, Nikon has some amazing new lenses – specifically their new fast f/1.4 primes including the 24mm, 35mm and 85mm. Nikon has definitely stepped it up in the high end glass department.

Overall the Expo is a great place to meet other photographers and talk with clients and peers in the photo industry.

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PhotoPlus Expo Presentation for Manfrotto and Elinchrom

10.22.10

If you are in New York next weekend, the biggest photography expo in North America is happening and I have been invited by Manfrotto Distribution to present some of my work and do a demo with some of the photo gear they distribute. Specifically, I will be doing a demo using Elinchrom lighting gear and Lastolite reflectors and backgrounds. I’ll be demonstrating the technique I use to shoot high contrast black and white portraits for my commercial and editorial assignments as in the image below. Here are the specifics for my presentation:

Topic: High Contrast Black and White Portraits
Date: Saturday, October 30, 2010
Time: 12:15 to 12:45 PM
Place: Manfrotto Booth, Javits Convention Center, New York City, NY

Check out the PhotoPlus Expo website for more details on attending the show. Other speakers in the Manfrotto Booth during the Expo include Joe McNally, Scott Kelby, Tom Bol and Tyler Stableford. In addition to these talks there are a lot of other seminars and demonstrations going on at the show. If you are into photography and want to see the latest gear then the PhotoPlus Expo is the place to be next weekend. Hope to see you there!

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The best article I have ever read on what it takes to Be a Pro Photographer

10.03.10

Years ago, I read an article that really cemented for me what I needed to do to reach my full potential as a pro photographer. It didn’t lay out a concrete plan to follow but it sparked a lot of thoughts that led to concrete actions. The article was published on The Digital Journalist way back in October 2004. The name of the article is The 8 Keys to Success: An Essay And Thoughts on What It Takes To Reach Your True Potential and it was written by David Lyman. Here is a link to the article:

http://digitaljournalist.org/issue0410/lyman.html

One thing you’ll notice right away is that talent is not at the top of the list. In fact it is the last item David mentions. Hard work, persistence and passion are the big motivators in this rough and tumble industry. After 15 years as a pro photographer there is still nothing else I have ever read that nails it quite like this article does.

I have sent this link to hundreds of would-be photographers, writers, artists and other creatives. If you are thinking of making a living as a photographer or have already jumped in and are wondering how you can make it work for you I highly recommend giving this a read. You won’t regret it.

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