For more than six decades, photographer Rich Clarkson has been the definitive visual chronicler of college basketball’s biggest tournament, the NCAA Final Four.
As the official NCAA photographer since the 1950s, Clarkson has spent his career behind the camera, documenting the drama of March Madness and the athletes who have come to define it.
Now, at 82, he has announced that this year will be his final Final Four assignment.
Clarkson’s résumé extends beyond the court. He has graced the covers of Sports Illustrated over 40 times, and served as Director of Photography for National Geographic from 1985 to 1988, where he brought the same eye for storytelling to global subjects.
“You’re basically a photojournalist,” Clarkson told CBS. “Whether it’s sports or natives in Africa, it’s all the same thing.”
From a humble beginning—his first sale was a photo purchased for 75 cents—to today, Clarkson’s Final Four images fetch around $5,000 apiece.
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