In our ‘Natural Born Influencers’ series, we interview young talents who are taking the world by storm, presented by Oakley. Mark Clinton wears Oakley Latch sunglasses available at all Oakley O Store and online right here.

Mark Clinton is a man who knows no bounds – since picking up a camera, he’s gone from Northern Beaches surfer to globe-trotting photographer, and captured some truly stunning and eye-opening images in the process.

Need some proof? Just see his edition of ‘Frames’ where he showed us his favourite images from Northern Iceland to New Zealand. With an enormous portfolio under his belt and more adventures and stories than we can count, Mark is frequently dropping by LWA HQ for a little banter – so we decided to host an edition of ‘Natural Born Influencers’ with the man himself. Read about his journey below:

What environment did the Northern Beaches provide you in terms of photography? Do you think you would have chose this career path if you grew up somewhere else?

When you grow up on the Northern Beaches your life is heavily influenced by the coast, the surf, and the beach. Having access to the sunrise and the ocean, there’s an instant desire to cherish the beauty of the sun reflecting off the water. And when you have big storms coming through, they’re extremely visually significant. So the surroundings definitely provide an inspiring setting.

I got into photography by way of surfing. As my friends started getting better and better in the ocean, I started to back away, a little intimidated by the size of the surf. Photography gave me an opportunity to still participate in the culture and the adventure without actually having to get mixed up with the risk. It’s hard to say whether I’d have chosen the same career path if I’d grown up elsewhere, but I definitely see a strong connection between the Northern Beaches and the development of my photography practice.

You said that you were taken into the family home of a random local on a trip to the Austrian Alps. What other eye-opening lessons about humanity have you learned on your adventures?

There are so many examples! What constantly strikes me in my travels is the generosity of locals to visitors, and that’s something that seems to grow the further you get off the beaten path. I was recently shooting on an outer island of Vanuatu, and we were staying in a tiny little village – very remote, where the language barrier was quite extreme. One of the villagers, however, got the entire community on board to support us.

If we returned from the volcano at 10pm, they’d be there waiting to cook us dinner and loan us blankets when we hadn’t anticipated how cold it was. It is really very humbling to be treated with that much warmth when you’re traveling through such isolated places, allowing you to really get a feel of the area and get the most out of the trip.

Having been to so many destinations across the globe, do you have any plans to relocate overseas in the future?

I’ve been to New Zealand 20 or more times over the last three years, so I feel like Wanaka will inevitably be my base at some stage. From a career perspective that might not be the best idea right now, but I’m happy to have all of these experiences now and take that opportunity later, when it’s a bit more feasible.

How are cameras and photography viewed differently around the world? Have you ever run into people overseas who don’t want their photo taken?

Thanks to the impact of social media, I think people have started to change their perspectives over the last few years. Places that were once so remote and barren are now often crawling with tourists, even if the photos suggest otherwise. Now, you rock up and everyone has seen it on the internet. They all want to be there.

As much as there are so many warm and welcoming people in remote locations, some of those people are starting to push back. If the town or environment is struggling to cope, or the tranquillity and undiscovered nature is what really drew the locals to the area, then yeah, I find people are more hesitant towards photographers and cameras. Not hostile necessarily, but not always happy to see you.

Maintaining your own style and aesthetic when working with a corporate client is something that many creative struggle with. How do you make sure paid work is authentically Mark Clinton?

There are so many photographers nowadays, so authenticity is really key. I find that clients are often looking for me to be true to my style, rather than try and capture something that doesn’t suit me. So in a way my authetnticity and style becomes as much what clients want to capture. If a client wants something shot that is different to my style, I try and meet them half way. On the larger scale jobs there are so many voices entitled to their own opinion – I guess its about creating continuity between all.

Name three people you’d like to photograph in the future and why?

Jack Bennett.

What’s on the cards for Mark for the rest of 2016?

This entire year I’ve spent on the road, especially the last six months. I’m looking forward to spending a bit more time at home, taking a bit of a break. I want to work on some personal projects, and enjoy the summertime in Sydney. I love traveling, but sometimes you need to pull up the handbrake to keep you sane.