It’s these shoots, which go the extra mile and serve for Burkard as “a personal crusade against the mundane”, that’s led to him working on profitable campaigns for Land Rover, Sony, The North Face and others, and earned him a committed Instagram following of 3.6 million people.
Burkard’s new book, Wayward, documents his photographic adventures from the last 15 years, as well as telling the stories behind the shoots – including succumbing to hypothermia, destroying thousands of pounds worth of camera gear, and spending time in a Russian jail, all in the pursuit of a great image (or the perfect wave).
Here, he talks to Digital Camera about the call of the wild, risk versus reward, swimming with sharks, and learning from mistakes…
What is it that draws you to wild places?
I grew up in a tiny town in California, and wanted to know what was out there in the world. It was about gazing at photos in magazines like National Geographic, and daydreaming. I had a desire to explore.
I didn’t travel growing up. My family couldn’t afford it. We never went on vacations to exotic places. But if you stare at those photographs long enough, you eventually think: “I have to go.” That was my dream.
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