PUSHING BOUNDARIES AND PIXELS

heart-pounding In the world of adventure sports, there exists a genre of photography that thrives on capturing adrenaline-fuelled moments and pushing the boundaries of visual storytelling. Adventure sports photography transports us to remote and rugged landscapes, where athletes fearlessly challenge themselves and nature. In an interview with Michael Clark we discuss his unyielding passion for the great outdoors, his interest to capture athletes that push boundaries and more: Excerpts

- SANCHIT MISHRA

Your passion for adventure and risk-taking is evident in your work. How do you approach assessing and managing risk while capturing those incredible adventure shots?

From my roots as a rock climber and mountaineer, assessing and managing risk is a constant process that is ingrained in everything I do. I work with the athletes to assess the situation and then we make a plan to insure everyone’s safety as much as possible. My rock climbing skills allow me to access places a lot of other photographers may not seek out.

Given the above, I am still taking some fairly huge risks on occasion. Let’s just say if there is such a thing as nine lives, then I have used up eight of them. I have had my rope cut down to one and a half strands of the core (out of 7 strands) while I was hanging on it three hundred feet (91.4 m) off the ground. I have fallen into quicksand in Tierra Del Fuego in one of the most remote places on Earth. I have also been hit by a beachball size boulder falling off a 600-foot (183 m) cliff. But somehow I always seem to come back with the images required by the client.

How has your diverse educational and art background influenced your approach to adventure photography?