Michael Clark blended his love of rock climbing and photography to become the internationally published photographer that he is today. He has traveled the globe to capture athletes in some of the most beautiful and dangerous areas known to man. We asked him to answer a few questions for our readers.

How did you decide to focus on action and travel photography?

The answer to this question is a bit of a long story. I started out shooting in high school and always loved the challenge of photographing sports. After University, where I studied Physics, I became obsessed with rock climbing and my obsession with climbing in general is what brought me back to photography.
When I started out as a photographer, I blended my two passions into one career, photographing climbing in all its forms (rock, ice and mountaineering). For the first four or five years I basically photographed nothing but climbing, then I started to branch out into all of the other adventure sports. I am continually fascinated by any and all adventure sports, especially those that involve risk.

Professionally speaking, what’s an accomplishment that you’re most proud of?

There have been so many incredible moments in my career so far, from locations that I have been able to explore to recognition by some of the top magazines in the world as a “Master of Adventure” photography, that it is honestly difficult to pull out any one assignment, award or recognition as the thing that I am most proud of. What stands out more is the lifestyle that I have been able to create, which is really the most amazing aspect of my career and life.
My work is interwoven into my life. The two are inseparable. And living a life filled with adventure, uncertainty, and incredible travel opportunities – to some of the most remote and challenging places on earth – has been a great privilege. I don’t know if this lifestyle is an accomplishment but it is a result of many years of hard work. And the resulting images tell a story of how many of the world’s best athletes test themselves against nature.

What’s your favorite shoot location? Why?

That is another tough question. I have been to so many amazing places, in remote corners of the globe, that I am often looking forward to the next new and exciting adventure more than going back to any one location. I will say that Patagonia (southern Chile and Argentina), Tahiti and Alaska are very memorable and I have been back to Patagonia several times.
In terms of amazing locations, as an adventure photographer I rely a lot on a stunning background to take the image to the next level. You can shoot images in your own backyard, but if the landscape isn’t wild and remote looking then the image won’t have the same impact.

You have a great shot on your website of an ice climber. Tell us about the logistics of that shoot and how you got that shot.

That image of the ice climber was one I had in mind for a long time. I shot that image (see below) in Ouray, Colorado, where there is a bridge over the gorge and the ice climb is right underneath the bridge. Because of this scenario, I was able to set up a powerful battery-powered Elinchrom strobe on top of the bridge, and using a long boom, I was able to get the strobe out over the top of the ice climb.

To get the actual shot, I climbed down to a ledge on the opposite side of the gorge, on level with the climber. I used a PocketWizard transceiver to trigger the strobe and I could also adjust the power output of the light with the transceiver. I worked with the ice climber to create this image specifically. Other ice climbing images have been shot with strobes but they have used a much more dramatic lighting setup. I specifically wanted to light it up broadly to show off the ice climb and the texture of the ice.

There’s a great picture of someone running on the beach on your site. Offer some tips on how to capture a sky like that.

Capturing a great sky is basically a matter of shooting a lot and getting a bit lucky. I have several images with amazing skies in them but in every case it was a matter of me being there, and being prepared. Bring a wide-angle lens and be ready for the sky to happen. Also, if it is raining out, that is a good start for getting a good sky. The best scenario is if it rains mid-afternoon and the clouds clear ever so slightly to let the sun come in under the clouds – that is when the amazing skies generally happen.

Explain the technical side of this photo with a biker doing a flip.

This image of Danny MacAskill was one of my first assignments with Red Bull. It was later selected as one of the best images of the year shot for Red Bull and has won other awards since. There was a lot of preparation that went into this image. Danny MacAskill, at that time, was a recent YouTube superstar and rocketed to fame in the adventure world seemingly overnight. He was signed by Red Bull, his first big sponsor, just the week before we did this shoot in San Diego, California.
Danny and I spent an entire day scouting possible locations before the actual day of the shoot. This sculpture, which was just by the airport, was one of the first things I saw when I got into San Diego and I took Danny over to it on our scout day to see if it was a possibility. He said yes and we planned our entire photo shoot the next day so that we would end up at these sculptures at last light. Once there, I shot Danny doing a backflip off the sculpture from several different angles. He was able to ‘on command’ launch the backflip and land it once he got the trick dialed.

This angle was the last one I shot. After shooting from farther away, I opted for a 10.5mm Nikkor Fish-eye lens and moved in as close as I could get to the launch point. Using a fast motor drive I blasted away at 8 fps while Danny did the backflip, resulting in this image.

You offer several workshops, what is it about teaching that you enjoy?

I limit the number of workshops I teach each year to four or five workshops at most. Otherwise they get in the way of assignments, and that can be an issue. Teaching workshops is a ton of work. I look at them as opportunities to mentor other photographers and share what I have learned. It’s also great to give back and inspire others. I wouldn’t be where I am at if it weren’t for a whole host of other photographers who have shared with me their knowledge and business savvy. When I teach workshops, I am an open book and will discuss any and everything with the workshop participants.
I also learn more about my equipment and my techniques, and understand them better than I otherwise would, because I teach those techniques in workshops. I learn from the workshop participants as well. It is always fascinating to see how other photographers create images, whether they are amateurs or professionals. Seeing how they shoot sometimes inspires me to be more creative or to think a little differently about how I approach a shoot.
Workshops are also a good time for me to experiment. I don’t normally shoot alongside the participants in my workshops but every once in a while I do and I take that time to push myself creatively. In a recent workshop I had the chance to photograph the Walt Disney Theater in Los Angeles, California. Since I am not an architectural photographer this isn’t a normal shoot for me and it was a fun morning of being creative without any pressure, and the result was some amazing images (Click on the link above to view a gallery of images from this shoot).
The last reason I enjoy teaching workshops is that as freelance photographers, we are islands, we spend a lot of time on our own shooting assignments or working up images, and it can be difficult to get out there and meet other photographers. Teaching workshops, alongside other professional photographers, at the Maine Media Workshops or the Santa Fe Workshops is a great experience where I can connect with other pro and amateur photographers.

To see a list of upcoming workshops, check out my website.

I understand you’re also involved in filmmaking. What drew you to this genre?

Filmmaking is now more accessible than it ever has been. This has been the overriding reason for still photographers flocking to shoot motion content. In the late 90s and early 2000s I worked with a few cinematographers and got a good grounding in the complexities of filming motion and recording sound. Now that the tools are available, and they don’t cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to acquire, we have the freedom to tell a story not only with stills but also with motion.
Another reason for adding motion to my repertoire is that I am being asked to shoot video on various assignments. The ability to shoot motion/video is now a requirement for most still photographers and it is exciting to see a whole new world of possibilities opened up to us. Whether working with a lightweight DSLR set up or a top-end Digital Cinema Camera, having the options to create a video piece or a full-blown documentary is opening up a lot of options. I am very excited to see 4K video and even higher resolutions, and raw codecs, coming to DSLRs. That will make filmmaking even more user friendly and higher quality.
As a long time movie fanatic, I am drawn to shooting motion content because it is exciting to tell a story with a different medium. Still and video are very different, and it takes a bit of time to switch the brain over to video mode if you are a still photographer. I have found video to be much more difficult than stills. You have to have a team of people that are good at what they do and it costs a lot more money to really put together a top-notch motion piece, but it is very exciting to see it all come together.

What do you think the next five years will hold for you? Are there any specific goals that you’d like to accomplish?

The future is always a mystery, especially for a freelancer. I have several personal projects I would like to work on and I am working on one right now that involves photographing recently contacted indigenous tribes in Brazil. That project is way off the radar for me, since it isn’t an adventure sports story, but it is exciting to be working on something that will hopefully help out a certain group. Aside from the personal projects, I am constantly marketing my work to secure bigger and more interesting assignments from a variety of clients—all while juggling my current assignments.
In terms of concrete goals, I need to continue working on video and motion projects and expanding my capabilities in that realm. I would like to have a solid collection of high quality motion projects on my website within the next five years—short films that will make editors sit up and take notice. And, as always, I want to continue to improve my skills as a photographer. There is always something new to learn and I never stop trying to improve my skills.

Learn more about Michael Clark and his work on his website. You can also check out his magazine and follow him on Facebook and Twitter.