Salt Lake City, Utah–based Adam Clark describes his style of photography as “really rad.” Once he was almost buried by an avalanche in a helicopter, and he was there when Jamie Pierre broke the biggest cliff record, which are both pretty rad. So with a backup plan of washing dishes at Alta, we think Clark should stick with photography. Skiing Magazine contributor Katie Matteson spoke to Clark about this shot of Sage Cattabriga-Alosa at Alta, Utah, which made it into the magazine's annual “Best Shots of the Year” photo gallery (December 2008).
SKIING: What do you like best about these photos?
It’s unique, I don’t have any other photo like it.
SKIING: Was it the first or the last shot of the day?
This was the very last light of the day. Sage hit the jump at least 10 times, probably more. I was trying a bunch of angles and this one just came together. It was an afternoon project of a little building and then waiting for the light.
SKIING: Were there any challenges with this shot?
This is a perfect example of working really hard until you get something great. The snow was horrible and the jump wasn’t crazy. A lot of the angles didn’t work for this jump and there were really only a few minutes of the day where the sun lined up just right with the background and the jump.
SKIING: Any tips for shooting a shot like this?
Just keep trying; shoot a lot. Wait for epic light.
