Clark Little is sometimes called "the accidental artist," but inspection of his work reveals compelling evidence that his destiny all along was to shoot photographs from deep within some of the planet's most powerful, churning waves.
Little, 41, is a former botanical gardens supervisor and big-wave surfer from Hawaii who, because of a peculiar twist of fate, decided three years ago to become a nature photographer.
So began a remarkable rise during which the personable artist has earned international acclaim and, he learned last week, a trip next spring to the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History.
Little was named winner in the "Oceans" category of the prestigious Windland Smith Rice International Awards for 2010; he also was selected as one of six "Highly Honored Photographers" in the "Endangered Species" category, for his images of Hawaiian green sea turtles, called "Honu" in Hawaiian.
Award-winning images from the Winland Smith Rice program will be on display at the Smithsonian for six months beginning next April.
"It's all still a little hard to believe," says Little, who has appeared on network news programs such as Good Morning America and The Today Show. His art has been featured in numerous nature publications, including National Geographic.
Little's passion was riding giant waves at fabled Waimea Bay on Oahu's North Shore. His trademark was staying on those offshore waves as they flattened in deep water and reformed close to the beach. Little would then tuck beneath their heaving lips as they crashed thunderously close to and sometimes even onto the sand.
"I always loved getting thrashed around," he says.
This violent shorebreak was where Little produced, with a cheap waterproof camera, a photo for the wall of his home. It's also where he discovered he had a knack for photography -- he has since purchased top-line equipment -- and capturing the essence of the shorebreak, and a new career was launched.
"Surfing was pushed aside," he says. "Once in a blue moon I still go out but I can spend four hours shooting and not even thinking about surfing. It's still just thinking about getting that perfect wave, but as a photographer."
Waimea remains his primary working studio. When a big north swell arrives, wave faces offshore can measure 40 feet or more. Scores of surfing photographers line the beach and train bazooka lenses on distant surfers.
His images reveal the powerful dynamics of the shorebreak -- the sucking up of sand and water; a thorough churning that stirs up food for turtles and other critters of the surf zone.
But his photographs also afford a perspective from within these barreling waves, looking outward, and of the surreal shapes they take before and as they break.
Last November Little published a coffee-table book, "The Shorebreak Art of Clark Little." He also has opened the Clark Little Gallery in the Southern California community of Laguna Beach, and will attend an exhibition featuring his turtle images, this Thursday and Friday.
He acknowledges that his is a dangerous profession; many times he has been sucked into the lips of the shorebreak and pounded onto the sand, but he says he would not trade this career for any other.
"I'm still rambunctious, ambitious and having a blast," he explains. "I have two kids and a beautiful wife. I'm lucky enough to do this and I'm going to make the most of it and keep enjoying life."
--Pete Thomas
Images are courtesy of Clark Little
-- Editor's note: This post also apears on the GrindTv.com surf and outdoor blogs
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