Chris Burkard is an American photographer and artist, based in the California Central Coast region. He photographs landscape, lifestyle, surf, outdoor, and travel subjects. Burkard takes a photojournalistic approach to make editorial projects, using multiple media. He uses natural light to capture humanizing moments.
Burkard specializes in photographing in cold places, including in Iceland, Norway, the Faroe Islands, India, Cuba, New Zealand, Russia, Switzerland, and Italy. Burkard has been named a top travel influencer.
Burkard was born in San Luis Obispo, California. He was raised by a single mother; she married his stepfather when Chris was 12 and they joined a family of five. He is a graduate of Arroyo Grande High School. After completing high school in 2004 at the age of 18, Burkard enrolled in classes at Cuesta Junior College. He became exposed to photography as an art form and the idea of composition quickly captured his attention. Growing up near the ocean and participating in water sports such as body surfing, bodyboarding, and surfing, Burkard sought to use photography as a mode of expression to highlight the movement of water and document his friends.

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