A New Chapter: Introducing Joe Clark Photographer

Over the past few months, life has brought significant changes, both personally and professionally. After many wonderful years building a community through Glass Lakes Photography, I’ve transitioned to a new brand, Joe Clark Photographer. This change reflects my evolving journey as an artist, especially as my family and I continue our travels aboard SV Animaashi. With new adventures come new inspirations, and this shift allows me to focus more on my artwork and the experience of creating and sharing my vision directly with you.

Why the Change?

The transition from Glass Lakes Photography to Joe Clark Photographer stems from the need to adapt both my personal circumstances and professional goals. In addition to Glass Lakes, we operated the Petoskey Print Studio, offering everything from 1-hour photo printing to fine art archival printing and conservation framing. We specialized in handling complex projects, particularly with canvas, and served many customers through this brand.
However, the autoimmune issues I’ve been dealing with made it increasingly difficult to manage the print studio and framing operations effectively. My condition caused severe palindromic arthritis, leading to mobility issues that made even the simplest tasks in the studio impossible without relying heavily on my staff. Walking short distances became painful, and the arthritis also affected my fingers, making manual work extremely challenging. Eventually, it became clear that I couldn’t continue running the studio.

Living with Autoimmune Challenges

The reason we ultimately had to close the gallery and print studio ties directly to my autoimmune condition. The arthritis and inflammation caused severe pain and limited mobility, but it was the environmental triggers—airborne allergens—that worsened my condition significantly. The rheumatologists at the Spectrum Clinic diagnosed me with inflammatory arthritis, which causes temporary but intense arthritis flare-ups. Left unchecked, this could eventually transition to rheumatoid or osteoarthritis.
Unfortunately, medications didn’t help much and caused additional complications, such as severe skin reactions. It became clear that my body was reacting to the air I was breathing, leading to an immune system overload that manifested in inflammation, pain, and other symptoms. Staying inland was literally taking time off my life, and the quality of life was deteriorating to a point where I needed to make a major change.

This is why my family and I made the decision to move aboard SV Animaashi. We discovered that the fresh ocean air is the only thing that alleviates my symptoms. Being near large bodies of water helps filter out contaminants and keeps the inflammation at bay. When we go too far inland, the symptoms return almost immediately. By staying along the coast, we’re able to remain in an environment where I can manage the condition and continue to create art.

Planning Our Coastal Migration

We now plan our travels along the coast based on environmental factors like temperature, humidity, and air quality. This allows us to stay within a zone where I can breathe freely and remain healthy. We prioritize moving south for solar power generation while staying close to the ocean to maintain access to clean air. Though our journey southward has been slower than I’d hoped, we’re now in a position to sail south within the next few weeks as we continue this chapter of life.

Introducing the Public Lands Study: A Limited Edition Series

Public lands have always been a central focus of my photography. Whether it’s the quiet solitude of Sleeping Bear Dunesor the untouched beauty of land trusts and nature preserves, these spaces hold a special place in my heart. My latest project, the Public Lands Study, is a limited edition series that takes this passion to the next level. Each photograph in this collection is crafted with higher-quality, archival materials, ensuring that the prints are as lasting as the landscapes they depict.
This limited edition is geared toward collectors who want to own a curated piece of my work. It allows me to revisit and reimagine some of my most popular open-edition photographs, refining them into elegant, museum-quality prints. With the Public Lands Study, I’m bringing attention to the importance of preserving these natural spaces and celebrating their raw, unspoiled beauty.