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Talk about taking off behind the peak. This sea turtle is buried deep. Perhaps it’s one of those thrill-seeking turtles from Nemo. Or maybe a wayward soul foraging in the surf zone for tasty kelp only caught, carried, and drilled. Whichever, the little dude’s in for quite a ride. In fact, so’s the photographer, Clark Little, who’s spent the last couple of years shooting the maelstrom where surf meets sand, mostly in the ultra-gnar of Waimea shorebreak. Little has a new photo book coming out and, though it hasn’t even been produced, it has surf and photo fans abuzz.

I’ve seen a few of the early designs for The Shorebreak Art of Clark Little and it’s gonna be sick–Little’s photos are like nothing you ever seen. Most surf photographers and surfers spend their time in the lineup, where the waves break in somewhat deeper water, but Little works where the biggest, nastiest waves break right on the sand. You know those pilots who fly into the eye of the hurricane to measure the winds? That’s the traditional surf photographer. Clark is more like a pilot who lives at the edge of the hurricane, where forces are strongest.

Little only started shooting in 2007, when his wife wanted art for their walls (gotten cheap) and he carried a camera down to the beach on the North Shore of Oahu, but he’s done what no other photographer has accomplished: brought an eye to a new part of the ocean. Oh, sure, lots of guys have gotten down on their knees and pointed lenses at the foam, but to my knowledge only Little has devoted himself to it and produced hundreds of sharp, clear, ultra-saturated pictures.

Maybe because there’s a price. Check out this 45-second video of Little in the impact zone.

Also, I suppose I should disclose that my wife Joni is a graphic designer and is putting the book together. But we have no financial incentive or stake in its success. Indeed, I’ve never met Clark–I just think his work is amazing and should be celebrated.–S.C.

Tagged as: beach, surfing