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Bio

Nikon TV Commercial
Nikon Campaign "I Am Different" - TV Commercial
The shorebreak is my comfort zone. I absolutely love it. It's always different. The light, the colors, the water, the sand and what happens to it. And to be there to capture it and share it with the world... what a dream. — Clark Little
 
     
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Clark surfing Waimea Shorebreak, 1990's
photos: Tom Servais

Award-winning photographer Clark Little was born in Napa, California in 1968. When he was two years old, his family moved to Oahu, dramatically changing his future. In the 1980’s and 1990’s he made his name as a pioneer of surfing at the Waimea Bay shorebreak. Clark had a unique talent for taking off on hopeless closeout shorebreak waves and surviving in one piece. Each wave typically ended in a spectacular wipeout. And if he was lucky, there would be a short tube ride before the standard pummeling. He loved the challenge of finding these gems within the chaos – and so did the crowds watching from the beach.

In 2007, Clark discovered his passion to capture the extraordinary beauty of the shorebreak when his wife, Sandy, wanted a picture of a wave to decorate their bedroom wall. With the confidence of an experienced surfer, Clark went out and bought a waterproof camera, jumped in the ocean, and started snapping away, recording the beauty and power of Hawaiian waves. "Clark’s view" is a unique and often dangerous perspective of waves from the inside out, captured in photos for all to enjoy from the safety of dry land.

Clark Little shooting in shorebreak standing on sandClark has since gained international recognition for his photography with exhibitions throughout the US and internationally in Japan, Canada, Brazil, and Spain. Solo and group exhibitions have been held at the Smithsonian Museum, Alden B. Dow Museum, Science Museum of Virginia, Museum of Contemporary Art Barcelona (Spain), Parco Logos Gallery (Tokyo, Japan), Gallery X (Tokyo, Japan), Bienal Pavilion (Sao Paulo, Brazil) and Heritage Maritime Canada (Montreal, Canada). 

Public installations, some large-scale and life-size, can be viewed at Facebook headquarters in Silicon Valley, University of Hawaii at Manoa Ocean Science Building, UC San Diego Jacobs Medical Center, Kona Community Hospital, Whole Foods Markets at Kahala, Starbucks Coffee (Waikiki, Ala Moana Shopping Center and Haleiwa, North Shore), The Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel, Roppongi Hills Shopping Complex in Tokyo, Bay Photo headquarters in Santa Cruz and other locations.

Clark and his photography have appeared in media around the world, including television shows Good Morning America, Today, CBS Evening News, NHK Japan, as well as gracing publications including National Geographic, The New York Times, USA Today, The Guardian, Scientific American, LIFE, Sierra, and The Surfer’s Journal. Commercial and corporate clients include Apple, Anheuser-Busch InBev, Facebook, Hewlett-Packard (HP), Hilton Hotels, Panerai Watches, Microsoft, Nike, Nikon, Starbucks Coffee, Toyota, Verizon, Whole Foods Markets among others.


Awarded the Oceans Photography Award
Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
Washington DC (May 2011)

BOOKS • FILM • GALLERY

  • 2022 - The Art of Waves (Ten Speed Press / Penguin Random House) published world-wide. 240-page 10"x10" coffee table book with foreword by Kelly Slater and text by Jamie Brisick and Clark Little.
  • 2016 - Documentary film SHOREBREAK: The Clark Little Story released. Screened at over 100 film venues and festivals world-wide in 2016-2017. On iTunes, reaches #1 for Sports Films and #3 for Documentaries.
  • 2014 - Waves of North Shore (Parco Publishing) published in Japan. 112-page soft cover book.
  • 2014 - Shorebreak published in US. 160-page coffee table book with text by Steve Hawk. Featuring wave and ocean photography from the North Shore of Oahu, Maui, Kauai, Big Island, California, Japan and French Polynesia.
  • 2011 - Clark Little Gallery Haleiwa opens its doors in Clark's hometown of Haleiwa, Hawaii just down the road from many of the North Shore beaches featured in his photography.
  • 2009 - The Shorebreak Art of Clark Little published in US. Debut 182-page art book featuring North Shore Oahu photography with forewords by Kelly Slater and Jack Johnson.

AWARDS & RECOGNITION

Awards include the prestigious Ocean Photography Award from Nature’s Best Photography presented at the Smithsonian Museum in May, 2011. Two award winning images were on exhibit for six months at Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington DC from April - September 2011. Clark Little's photography was exhibited again in 2015 at the Smithsonian Museum in the "Best of the Best" Nature Photography Retrospective Exhibition marking the 20th anniversary of the annual event.

  • 2022  & 2023 - The Art of Waves (Ten Speed Press / Penguin Random House) Best Seller on Amazon USA for over 1 ½ years. Best Seller in other countries for at least 2 months including Australia, Japan, Brazil, Germany, France, Netherlands and Sweden.
  • 2019 - Ranked 10th Most Popular Photographer in the world (#5 in USA) by XXL PIX. Five years in a row placing in the top ten in the world.
  • 2017 - SHOREBREAK (film) - Bud Browne Surf Film Award, Waimea Ocean Film Festival
  • 2016 - SHOREBREAK (film) - Audience Award, Maui Film Festival
  • 2015 & 2016 - Nikon Ambassador
  • 2015 - Gold Ink Awards, Pewter Medal (runner-up) in the calendar division for the 2016 Clark Little Turtle Calendar.
  • 2011 - Oceans Photography Award - Nature’s Best Photography: Windland Smith Rice International Awards presented at the Smithsonian Museum, Washington DC.
  • 2011 - Highly Honored Photographer: Endangered Species Award - Nature’s Best Photography: Windland Smith Rice International Awards presented at the Smithsonian Museum, Washington DC.
  • 2011 - The Great Outdoors PDN: Beaches, Island and Underwater Category - Winner
  • 2011 - Maggie Award (Western Publishing Association): Best Series of Editorial Photographs - View from the Vortex (Sierra Magazine)
  • 2010 - Pele Award for Photography (American Advertising Federation Hawaii): Breaking Point (Kahala Magazine)
  • 2009 - Photograph of the Year, People's Choice Award, Geo Magazine

Clark Little Shooting in Tube

Clark Little self portrait

Media

One of the most visible and respected water photographers in the world. Clark Little has taken the closeout shorebreak by his home and turned it into high art seen around the world.
— Keith Hamm, ESPN
Award-winning master of aquatic photography.
— Roy Furchgott, New York Times
A vision of the natural world few ever see for themselves.
— Steven Hawk, Sierra
The result is an inside look at the stunning beauty of waves.
— Chip Reid, CBS Evening News
Stunning images from inside the barrels of some of the most powerful and dangerous waves on Earth
— Caleb Jones, Associated Press (AP)
Clark Little shows Hawaii's waves in all their glory
ABC News
How do you photograph the world's most dangerous waves? You get thrashed. Clark Little uses his knowledge and love of surfing and the ocean to show people rare glimpses into the inside of Hawaii's most powerful waves.
— Kathleen Wong, USA Today
Extraordinary Art
LIFE
The result is a whole new perspective.
Men's Journal
CBS Evening News
Good Morning America

Clark Little on television

Clark Little on television

Clark Little magazine cover shots

Clark Little magazine cover shots

Clark Little magazine cover shots

Clark Little magazine cover shots

Clark Little magazine featured articles

Clark Little magazine featured articles

Clark Little magazine featured articles

Clark Little magazine featured articles

Clark Little magazine featured articles

Clark Little magazine featured articles

Licensing & Corporate Clients

• American Savings Bank
• Apple
• Facebook
• Hurley
• NIKE
• Nikon
• Penguin Random House
• Smithsonian Museum
• Starbucks Coffee
• Toyota
• University of Hawaii
• Whole Foods Markets

• Air New Zealand
• Anheuser-Busch InBev
• Bay Photo
• Career Builder
• Castle Hospital
• Conservation International
• Crazy Shirts
• Davidoff (Cool Water)
• Dragon Alliance Eyewear
• Epson
• Hawaii Five-O (TV Show)
• Hawaii State Federal Credit Union

• Hawaiian Airlines
• Hilton Hotels
• Hewlett-Packard (HP)
• Hyatt Hotels
• Lockheed Martin
• Magnum PI (TV Show)
• Microsoft
• McDonalds Japan
• National Health Federation
• Pacific Honda
• Parco Japan
• Panerai Watches

• PBS Hawaii
• Rash Wetsuits Japan
• Sector 9 Skateboards
• Slowtide
• UC San Diego Health
• Under Armour
• Verizon
• Volkswagen (VW)
• XS Energy Drink

Nikon Commercial
NIKON: Clark Little Mini-Documentary

Nikon Campaign

Nike / Hurley project

Penguin Random House

Crazy Shirts

Apple Retina Display campaign

American Savings Bank project

Toyota project

Dragon Sunglasses

Verizon US Open Booth design

Bay Photo signage and advertisement

Parco Japan exhibitions, books and calendars

Panerai Watches project

More Clark Little licensing projects

More Clark Little licensing projects

Exhibitions (Solo & Group)

• Smithsonian Museum, Washington DC
• Heritage Maritime Canada, Montreal
• Museum of Contemporary Art Barcelona, Spain (MOCBA)
• Parco Gallery X, Tokyo
• Parco Logos Gallery, Tokyo
• Aperture Gallery, New York
• Milk Gallery, New York

• Hilton Salt Lake City Center, Utah
• Photo Center NW, Seattle
• Bienal Pavilion, Sao Paulo, Brazil
• Alden B Dow Museum, Michigan
• Studio One Gallery, Munich, Germany
• Toyota City Showcase, Tokyo
• Science Museum of Virginia

Smithsonian Museum exhibitions

Parco Japan exhibitions

Heritage Maritime Canada outdoor exhibition

W Hotel San Diego exhibition

Installations

University of Hawaii Oceanography Department

Whole Foods Market Kahala installation

Apple Store installation

Facebook Health Center installations

McDonalds Japan

UC San Diego Health installations

Kona Community Hospital installations

Starbucks Coffee Waikiki installation

Starbucks Coffee Haleiwa installation

American Savings Bank installation

Coronado Shores installation

Pacific Honda installation

Bay Photo headquarters installation

PGW Headquarters installation

Ritz Carlton Laguna Nigel installations

Embassy Suites Kapolei installations