

Chris Burkard: “The landscapes I’ve seen have changed me”
The photographer has shot some of the most beautiful—and extreme—environments in the world. Here’s what he’s learned about thoughtful travel along the way
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Photographer Chris Burkard knows a thing or two about traveling in the natural world—as testified by the dramatic images he has shot in remote locations around the globe. Starting out as a surf photographer, the 38-year-old Californian has captured majestic landscapes in places most folks will have never set foot on (the Aleutian Islands, anyone?).

“I’m a photographer by trade, but that has evolved into becoming more of a storyteller. It’s what makes me want to get up in the morning and see the world,” he says. “Places that motivate me the most have an extremely dramatic landscape where mountains meet the ocean. That marriage of land and sea not only fascinates me geologically, it also feels like you are getting to the ends of the Earth.”

Greenland, Iceland, the Faroes, and Alaska inspire him the most. “If you’re willing to travel there, you’re going to create something interesting,” he says. In fact, Burkard lost his heart to Iceland so much that he moved there with wife Breanne and sons Jeremiah, 11, and Forrest, nine. “It’s been an amazing place to live. I’m really grateful.”
Burkard says nature has been the best teacher. “It’s helped to show me what’s important in life and to change my habits. It’s where I found solace, meaning and purpose. The places I’ve seen have molded me as a person,” he says. “There’s no way to get the world to care about places simply by talking about them. By experiencing them, you feel a sense of responsibility to want to protect them. You want people to leave places better than they found them, and that is the most significant piece of sustainable travel advice you can offer.”
Chris’ thoughtful travel tips
Ignite all your senses
“The one thing I hate is leaving a place feeling like the camera saw more than I did. Have a moment where you can try to vividly remember the smells, the sounds, as much as what you saw or what your camera saw. I’ve tried to learn to put the camera down and really feel and embrace experiences.”
Keep a goal in mind
“Travel with purpose, even if that is to take a photograph of every espresso you drink on the coast of Italy or to try every type of fish they bring in at the dock. When we travel with no intentionality, we’re not learning much. When I’m in a new place, I want to learn one thing that I didn’t know before. That is a recipe for being more open-minded.”


Take your time
“Immerse yourself in places, don’t just rush through. Carve out time where there isn’t an agenda. Allow for haphazard moments to come to life: That wrong turn you take, that’s where some of the best stories usually come from. I went to surf in every body of water that touched Japan, but the goal wasn’t to say I did it, it was to truly travel deeply through the entire country and see everything. That level of immersion changes you as a person. You really see the scope of a place, not just the highlight reel.”
Get the balance right
“There’s a social responsibility and a fine balance we can strike between walking the well-trodden tourist path and seeking more remote, lesser-known experiences. Have the epic meal that is planned out and jump on that tourist bus—but there’s also an opportunity to hire that guide who’s going to show you a place few people have seen. The recipe for an amazing trip is to bring back some experiences you didn’t know you were going to have.”

Leave no trace
“If I want to know about the fragile environment of a place, I’ll research it. Where should I not walk? Where is a dangerous place to stand? It’s important to ask what the threats are that places are facing, because every single person that gets on a plane and goes somewhere has the ability to influence a place—for better or worse. Everybody is an influencer, and everybody can utilize that influence to advocate for the places they love, even if they’re just holding a cell phone.”
Revisit destinations for the best experiences
“I honestly don’t know how much I’m able to take in on the first trip somewhere new. You’re just skimming the surface. I’d rather go deep and narrow instead of wide and shallow, and that approach takes time, energy and thoughtfulness. It’s why I’ve returned to Patagonia, Alaska, the Faroes, and Norway—to form deeper connections. Seeing all that beauty for the first time wears off, and you’re able to actually sit with it and experience something.”
Engage with people when taking photos
“If I want to take a picture, I try to make eye contact and make sure that there’s some kind of confirmation that this is OK. Also, nobody’s as fearful of a phone, so there are a lot of moments where my favorite images come from my phone, because it’s not as threatening.”

Lara Kilner
Writer
Lara Kilner is a lifestyle journalist who has contributed to The Times, The Telegraph, and more. She has traveled extensively through five continents, but her most memorable trip was the one on which she met her Malaysian husband.

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