Chris Burkard, photographer

I follow photographer and surfer/adventurer Chris Burkard on Instagram, and today he posted this shot:

 with the following comment:

For World Photography Day I wanted to share an image that for me was career altering. When I had decided to put my focus on cold weather travel it came with a ton of risk. Let’s just say I didn’t always have the support of magazines & editors when the trip presented so many challenges. Putting up every dollar yourself for an expedition can be challenging when you have no clue if it will be worth it. It can be strain on a bank account and a relationship. A month in Northern Norway during the winter was no exception. We were ill prepared & on a shoe string budget and we paid the price. Getting stuck in remote cabins, destroying a few rental vehicles from bad weather, getting stuck on a ferry for 3 days and ultimately negotiating a snowmobile rental to access a stretch of coast in Vardo. I was out of my depth and out of my realm… trying my best to keep my chin up despite making some poor decisions along the way and lacking some crucial research.
     What resulted was one of the best trips of my life, despite the challenges. It reinforced my love of cold water and the remote landscapes that I would stare at on the magazine rack. I made a dream come to life and all [of a] sudden those distant shores weren’t so distant anymore. Just thinking about this trip makes my senses feel overwhelmed & body tremble from the cold, but it also elicits a huge smile.

Pictured is @danedamus in the Lofoten Islands circa 2010 ish.

And so I thought I'd feature Chris here. His photography is wide-ranging, often including a surfboard, but not always; often in some very cold-looking place, but again, not always. Here are a few of the cold surf-related shots. (Click on the images to see them large.)

Talk about adventure. And such beauty!

Here's another I especially like, because it reminds me of our kayak trip in the Doubtful Sound, South Island, New Zealand:

And this, just because:

You can find more of his work on his website. It makes me happy to know people are out exploring the world so boldly. And with such joy. (And I kinda like the fact that he's a fellow Central Coaster.)