Unstad, Norway
I was 26 with my first kid on the way… my wife was almost due and I decided to take one more job shooting surf in Norway before my son came. My life up to that point had been singularly focused on my career – booking back to back jobs around the globe and I hadn’t really taken a moment to look over my shoulder. Knowing it was my last shoot for the next few months, I pushed myself extra hard… spending more time in the icy waters causing frost nip in my hands & nerve damage that I still deal with to this day. There’s a lot more to unpack from this trip but I look back at the images with a palpable memory of my time there and the feeling life would never be the same when I got home
Alaska being roughly 665,000 square miles makes it the largest state in the US and pretty difficult to see it all even in a lifetime… March of 2018 on a catalog shoot for prAna, I decided to take a small crew to hit some of the most scenic locations ranging from the Don Sheldon Mountain hut near Denali to the Turnagain Arm on the Kenai Peninsula. A truly diverse array of wilderness where adventure and lifestyle in tune with nature is inevitable and a perfect time to see the state in peak season… exploring glaciers, ice caves, and eventually coastal territory accessible only by bush plane or small boats & highly dependent on a clear weather window. For the majority the trip, clear skies were in our favor and the swell lined up for perfect surf despite the frigid waters… even a rideable bore tide that locals often surf during large swings
@prana
Alaska being roughly 665,000 square miles makes it the largest state in the US and pretty difficult to see it all even in a lifetime… March of 2018 on a catalog shoot for prAna, I decided to take a small crew to hit some of the most scenic locations ranging from the Don Sheldon Mountain hut near Denali to the Turnagain Arm on the Kenai Peninsula. A truly diverse array of wilderness where adventure and lifestyle in tune with nature is inevitable and a perfect time to see the state in peak season… exploring glaciers, ice caves, and eventually coastal territory accessible only by bush plane or small boats & highly dependent on a clear weather window. For the majority the trip, clear skies were in our favor and the swell lined up for perfect surf despite the frigid waters… even a rideable bore tide that locals often surf during large swings
@prana
Alaska being roughly 665,000 square miles makes it the largest state in the US and pretty difficult to see it all even in a lifetime… March of 2018 on a catalog shoot for prAna, I decided to take a small crew to hit some of the most scenic locations ranging from the Don Sheldon Mountain hut near Denali to the Turnagain Arm on the Kenai Peninsula. A truly diverse array of wilderness where adventure and lifestyle in tune with nature is inevitable and a perfect time to see the state in peak season… exploring glaciers, ice caves, and eventually coastal territory accessible only by bush plane or small boats & highly dependent on a clear weather window. For the majority the trip, clear skies were in our favor and the swell lined up for perfect surf despite the frigid waters… even a rideable bore tide that locals often surf during large swings
@prana
Alaska being roughly 665,000 square miles makes it the largest state in the US and pretty difficult to see it all even in a lifetime… March of 2018 on a catalog shoot for prAna, I decided to take a small crew to hit some of the most scenic locations ranging from the Don Sheldon Mountain hut near Denali to the Turnagain Arm on the Kenai Peninsula. A truly diverse array of wilderness where adventure and lifestyle in tune with nature is inevitable and a perfect time to see the state in peak season… exploring glaciers, ice caves, and eventually coastal territory accessible only by bush plane or small boats & highly dependent on a clear weather window. For the majority the trip, clear skies were in our favor and the swell lined up for perfect surf despite the frigid waters… even a rideable bore tide that locals often surf during large swings
@prana
Alaska being roughly 665,000 square miles makes it the largest state in the US and pretty difficult to see it all even in a lifetime… March of 2018 on a catalog shoot for prAna, I decided to take a small crew to hit some of the most scenic locations ranging from the Don Sheldon Mountain hut near Denali to the Turnagain Arm on the Kenai Peninsula. A truly diverse array of wilderness where adventure and lifestyle in tune with nature is inevitable and a perfect time to see the state in peak season… exploring glaciers, ice caves, and eventually coastal territory accessible only by bush plane or small boats & highly dependent on a clear weather window. For the majority the trip, clear skies were in our favor and the swell lined up for perfect surf despite the frigid waters… even a rideable bore tide that locals often surf during large swings
@prana
Alaska being roughly 665,000 square miles makes it the largest state in the US and pretty difficult to see it all even in a lifetime… March of 2018 on a catalog shoot for prAna, I decided to take a small crew to hit some of the most scenic locations ranging from the Don Sheldon Mountain hut near Denali to the Turnagain Arm on the Kenai Peninsula. A truly diverse array of wilderness where adventure and lifestyle in tune with nature is inevitable and a perfect time to see the state in peak season… exploring glaciers, ice caves, and eventually coastal territory accessible only by bush plane or small boats & highly dependent on a clear weather window. For the majority the trip, clear skies were in our favor and the swell lined up for perfect surf despite the frigid waters… even a rideable bore tide that locals often surf during large swings
@prana
Alaska being roughly 665,000 square miles makes it the largest state in the US and pretty difficult to see it all even in a lifetime… March of 2018 on a catalog shoot for prAna, I decided to take a small crew to hit some of the most scenic locations ranging from the Don Sheldon Mountain hut near Denali to the Turnagain Arm on the Kenai Peninsula. A truly diverse array of wilderness where adventure and lifestyle in tune with nature is inevitable and a perfect time to see the state in peak season… exploring glaciers, ice caves, and eventually coastal territory accessible only by bush plane or small boats & highly dependent on a clear weather window. For the majority the trip, clear skies were in our favor and the swell lined up for perfect surf despite the frigid waters… even a rideable bore tide that locals often surf during large swings
@prana
Alaska being roughly 665,000 square miles makes it the largest state in the US and pretty difficult to see it all even in a lifetime… March of 2018 on a catalog shoot for prAna, I decided to take a small crew to hit some of the most scenic locations ranging from the Don Sheldon Mountain hut near Denali to the Turnagain Arm on the Kenai Peninsula. A truly diverse array of wilderness where adventure and lifestyle in tune with nature is inevitable and a perfect time to see the state in peak season… exploring glaciers, ice caves, and eventually coastal territory accessible only by bush plane or small boats & highly dependent on a clear weather window. For the majority the trip, clear skies were in our favor and the swell lined up for perfect surf despite the frigid waters… even a rideable bore tide that locals often surf during large swings
@prana
Alaska being roughly 665,000 square miles makes it the largest state in the US and pretty difficult to see it all even in a lifetime… March of 2018 on a catalog shoot for prAna, I decided to take a small crew to hit some of the most scenic locations ranging from the Don Sheldon Mountain hut near Denali to the Turnagain Arm on the Kenai Peninsula. A truly diverse array of wilderness where adventure and lifestyle in tune with nature is inevitable and a perfect time to see the state in peak season… exploring glaciers, ice caves, and eventually coastal territory accessible only by bush plane or small boats & highly dependent on a clear weather window. For the majority the trip, clear skies were in our favor and the swell lined up for perfect surf despite the frigid waters… even a rideable bore tide that locals often surf during large swings
@prana
Alaska being roughly 665,000 square miles makes it the largest state in the US and pretty difficult to see it all even in a lifetime… March of 2018 on a catalog shoot for prAna, I decided to take a small crew to hit some of the most scenic locations ranging from the Don Sheldon Mountain hut near Denali to the Turnagain Arm on the Kenai Peninsula. A truly diverse array of wilderness where adventure and lifestyle in tune with nature is inevitable and a perfect time to see the state in peak season… exploring glaciers, ice caves, and eventually coastal territory accessible only by bush plane or small boats & highly dependent on a clear weather window. For the majority the trip, clear skies were in our favor and the swell lined up for perfect surf despite the frigid waters… even a rideable bore tide that locals often surf during large swings
@prana
California’s Carrizo Plains & Cuyama Valley provide little access even with a good 4×4 vehicle for those hoping to photograph the surrounding ridges… while planning this particular assignment, we felt that flying in an Lightweight Aerial Trike and a Cessna seemed the best way to capture the dramatic effects of the super bloom in a way that gave genuine context to the landscape… something I value when putting together a body of work.
Throughout my career, @natgeo has always been an incredible example of showcasing the earth and the important stories that it has to share… so this assignment to document California’s super bloom following significant winter rainfall in 2023 felt a little extra special being so close to my home.
California’s Carrizo Plains & Cuyama Valley provide little access even with a good 4×4 vehicle for those hoping to photograph the surrounding ridges… while planning this particular assignment, we felt that flying in an Lightweight Aerial Trike and a Cessna seemed the best way to capture the dramatic effects of the super bloom in a way that gave genuine context to the landscape… something I value when putting together a body of work.
Throughout my career, @natgeo has always been an incredible example of showcasing the earth and the important stories that it has to share… so this assignment to document California’s super bloom following significant winter rainfall in 2023 felt a little extra special being so close to my home.
California’s Carrizo Plains & Cuyama Valley provide little access even with a good 4×4 vehicle for those hoping to photograph the surrounding ridges… while planning this particular assignment, we felt that flying in an Lightweight Aerial Trike and a Cessna seemed the best way to capture the dramatic effects of the super bloom in a way that gave genuine context to the landscape… something I value when putting together a body of work.
Throughout my career, @natgeo has always been an incredible example of showcasing the earth and the important stories that it has to share… so this assignment to document California’s super bloom following significant winter rainfall in 2023 felt a little extra special being so close to my home.
California’s Carrizo Plains & Cuyama Valley provide little access even with a good 4×4 vehicle for those hoping to photograph the surrounding ridges… while planning this particular assignment, we felt that flying in an Lightweight Aerial Trike and a Cessna seemed the best way to capture the dramatic effects of the super bloom in a way that gave genuine context to the landscape… something I value when putting together a body of work.
Throughout my career, @natgeo has always been an incredible example of showcasing the earth and the important stories that it has to share… so this assignment to document California’s super bloom following significant winter rainfall in 2023 felt a little extra special being so close to my home.
California’s Carrizo Plains & Cuyama Valley provide little access even with a good 4×4 vehicle for those hoping to photograph the surrounding ridges… while planning this particular assignment, we felt that flying in an Lightweight Aerial Trike and a Cessna seemed the best way to capture the dramatic effects of the super bloom in a way that gave genuine context to the landscape… something I value when putting together a body of work.
Throughout my career, @natgeo has always been an incredible example of showcasing the earth and the important stories that it has to share… so this assignment to document California’s super bloom following significant winter rainfall in 2023 felt a little extra special being so close to my home.
When my two baby Alpacas, Falkor & Loa, hit 1 year I wanted to do something special and take them to a place that would blow their minds. As always these gentle creatures were timid but intrigued at first when I took them to the beach, sniffing everything and unsure about the sand and the water. But soon there love for cold water on a hot day took over and they just plopped down in the sand. It was nearly impossible to get them back up and into the car 😅.
Really miss these two. One of the most challenging decisions of moving across the world was giving them up to someone who could properly take care of them.
Assistants are often the least appreciated part of the job. On this last assignment for @natgeo books we photographed 3 National Parks and logged countless miles over the course of a week. With heavy camera gear we tried to bring to life a slightly different take on some commonly photographed places. @jeffreybrundage & @mitchellquiring brought to the table such a strong work ethic on this trip often going out alone at night to set up a time lapse for hours or hike into the desert before sunrise for a shot a top a sand dune while I was setting out for my own angle. Beyond just great camera skills, having someone with you that has years of Search & Rescue training is a perk when you are working on a job in the remote backcountry and often “trail” less backcountry.
This trip was one I’ll never forget. Thanks fellas
* this angle was shot near ground level with a fisheye lens to bring to life the distorted perspective of trees encroaching upon the entire frame.
Mallorca, Spain. 2018
Shallow enough to clearly see the sandy bottom.. but deep enough to make the fall safe. A magical element of the Balearic Islands – home to some of the most stunning deep water soloing & cliff jumping I’ve seen to date. This nameless cave route was never completed, Chris fell from the last hold. A couple hundred feet of monkey swinging from 3 dimensional roof holds made this particular line easily the longest deep water solo @chris_sharma attempted that day. By far – the best part was watching him fully excited to try this route like a kid nearly jumping off the boat…
My 2nd Austurland Freeride Festival on the books… the weather didn’t make it easy on us this time but we had an epic crew of amazing people and @runarpetur & @mjoeyri made great hosts each day – picking out interesting lines we could explore despite tricky conditions & even shuttling us in trucks to the base of the snow line… no matter the weather it’s still hard to beat a day of ski touring around Iceland’s eastern mountains with good friends just to cap it off with a boat hot tub, unobstructed views of Eskifjörður, and the best reindeer meatballs you can get. I’ll definitely be back next year and anyone who wants to join can follow @austurlandfreeride to stay tuned !
@gudjonssons @joelbarger_ @maloupeterson @vidirb @ivarpetur
I’ve been dreaming up something big for the last few years.. trying to combine disciplines for a glacier crossing / pack rafting adventure leading me to Vatnajökull – the biggest glacier in Europe & one I’ve always dreamt of crossing but felt I would never have the skillset.
I’ve poured myself into long training days – trying to get accustomed to Polar style expeditions…. Long story short – I’m heading off tomorrow to cross Vatnajökull glacier from West to East with a descent down a rarely traveled glacial tongue in east iceland: Lambatungnajökull, from there we’ll attempt to Packraft to the ocean. Shown above are clips of the route during a scouting flight last Friday to assess conditions.The dream is a source to sea expedition, glacier to ocean.
My tracker link is in my bio and here:
https://share.garmin.com/ChrisBurkard
See you on the other side.. and if you’re in Höfn mid May, come find me or drop me off some gummies
For many of Iceland’s Eastfjords, fishing & boats were (and still is) a large part of industry & life supporting little towns like Eskifjörður or Seyðisfjörður… so it felt fitting to explore the East sailing aboard the @schooneropal with an amazing crew of good friends on a trip with @66north
This particular vessel was built in 1951, sailing in the Baltic & North seas and completed two trans-Atlantic crossings before becoming part of North Sailing’s fleet in 2013, now based in Iceland. The slow pace of the ship, sounds of the sails billowing in the wind, and occasional creaking of timber with the rocking of the ocean – quickly puts you in tune with the pace of the sea and the surrounding fjords… a pretty special way to see a landscape & an opportunity I always try to jump on if given the chance.
I always drew a lot of inspiration from photographers like Peter Lik and Ansel Adam’s as a kid… their depiction of the American southwest and the Sierra Nevadas encouraging my own exploration and documentation. Both of them working with camera tech much more limited and challenging than what I carry today.
Regardless of your gear – a common theme I find essential, is the willingness to put in the effort to capture a moment or place… whether that’s with your iPhone or a full frame DSLR with a range of lenses…
For me, if I’m photographing a landscape, I’m packing the @sonyalpha A7R V, my favorite tool for this scenario with it’s 61MP sensor and excellent color depth & dynamic range… perfect for printing large fine art images, sizing up for billboards, or just documenting a place that instills a sense of awe in me.
Last week’s short mission from Landmannalaugar in Iceland’s Highlands to the south side of Mýrdalsjökull gave me a new perspective on that stretch of landscape I crossed in 2021 on a fatbike… this time moving more intentionally and slowly on skis. Even though the forecast showed clear skies at the beginning of the week, we encountered some pretty tricky weather – high winds and low visibility forcing us to rely more on GPS tracking and teamwork to move through some of the technical features that precede crossing the glacier. Dipping my toes into the challenge of traversing on skis has been teaching me a lot of new skills required to be safe in adverse conditions and I’m excited for bigger objectives on the horizon…
@66north @stol_iceland
@midgard.base.camp