Chris Burkard

Burkard purchased his first camera from a Goodwill auction for $65, and after shooting and developing an entire roll of slide film he realized the camera didn’t work. He then borrowed a camera from his girlfriend’s mom, and began shooting regularly, experimenting with different lighting and contexts. Raised on the cusp of photography’s mainstream transformation from film to digital in the mid-2000s, Burkard is self-taught in both.

After working at Surfline and Water Magazine, Burkard was hired at Surfer Magazine in 2010. As of May 2013, he holds the position as senior staff photographer.

In the early years of his career, Burkard worked as a freelance photographer on both editorial and commercial projects, amassing a client list that includes American Airlines, Nikon, Volkswagen, Apple Inc, Fuel TV, Burton, Volcom, RVCA, Poler Stuff, Pacifico, among others, as well as having work published on over 35 national and international covers of magazines including Surfer Magazine (both print and digital), The New Yorker, National Geographic AdventureEandSPN.com Starting at the age of 21 and between the years of 2008–2010, Burkard served as the senior staff photographer at Surfline, a global, surf forecasting and content site, based in California. During this time, he was also senior staff photographer for Water Magazine. Beginning in 2009, Burkard was contracted by Patagonia, Inc. as a project photographer. In 2010, Surfer Magazine offered Burkard a position as senior staff photographer, a title he still resumes. Burkard also operates a full service studio in Grover Beach, California shooting commercial and editorial work. Burkard spends time as an educational writer and guest keynote speaker at TED, and IBM.

In 2008, at age 21, Burkard earned a position as the senior staff photographer at Surfline, a global surf forecasting and content site, based in California. At this time he also served as senior staff photographer at Water Magazine until his departure in 2010 to leave for Surfer Magazine as senior staff photographer.

Burkard was born in San Luis Obispo but grew up in Arroyo Grande. 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 member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Burkard lives in Grover Beach with his wife Breanne; they married in 2007 and have two sons, Jeremiah and Forrest.

In 2006, Burkard shadowed large format landscape photographer Michael Fatali, whose images of the American Southwest desert are published frequently. Later that year, Burkard interned under Transworld Surfing photo editor, Pete Taras.

In 2006, Burkard interned at Transworld Surf Magazine for four months prior to becoming assistant photo editor.

Burkard is a graduate of Arroyo Grande High School. After completing high school in 2004 at the age of 19, 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 in order to highlight the movement of water and document his friends.

Chris Burkard (born March 12, 1986 in San Luis Obispo, California) 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.