CHRIS BURKARD STUDIO TEAM

We are a full service production studio based on the Central Coast of California

Chris Burkard is an accomplished explorer, photographer, creative director, speaker, and author. Traveling throughout the year to pursue the farthest expanses of Earth, Burkard works to capture stories that inspire humans to consider their relationship with nature, while promoting the preservation of wild places everywhere. Layered by outdoor, travel, adventure, surf, and lifestyle subjects, Burkard is known for images that are punctuated by untamed, powerful landscapes. Through social media chris strives to share his vision of wild places with millions of people, and to inspire them to explore for themselves. His visionary perspective has earned him opportunities to work on global, prominent campaigns with Fortune 500 clients, speak on the TED stage, design product lines, educate, and publish a growing collection of books. Along with his team, Burkard is based out of his production studio and art gallery in the Central Coast of California. At the age of 32, Burkard has established himself as a global presence and influencer. He is happiest with his wife Breanne raising their two sons Jeremiah and Forrest in his hometown of Pismo Beach, California

As Director of Operations, Mike is Chris' right hand man, overseeing the "big picture" of Chris Burkard Studios. With a strong background in management and a love for the outdoors, Mike brings not only expertise to the Director of Operations role, he also keeps the stoke level high. While he does love snowboarding and wakeboarding, since moving to the Central Coast he is quickly getting frothy about surfing  and other ocean-based activities.

Ryan interned with Chris in 2015, and his strong performance during that internship led Chris to offer him a full-time position in 2016. A Cal-Poly grad, Ryan's love of science and the outdoors is a combination that fits in perfectly at Chris Burkard Studios. His logical approach to problem solving makes him well suited to handling office logistics, and his stoke for all things outdoors (particularly surfing) is right in line with what we're all about. When he's not taking care of business in the office, Ryan is usually hunting down the best waves in the area.

Josh is a Central Coast local that found his way back home after many years producing in LA and across the globe. He has a keen eyes for details and organization and has been working hard at keeping the studio library organized and looking great!

Ryan Valasek hails from Orange County. He has been refining his craft while focusing on the storytelling elements of photography. His body of work encompasses the outdoor lifestyle genre while also highlighting surf/skate, which is what caught our eye. Ryan impressed the team with his positive attitude and willingness to dive into learning what it takes to succeed in commercial photography.

Hannah is one of the few interns to stick around for a second round! Hailing from South Carolina she has taken well to life on the Central Coast and her ability to tackle any problem that arrises here at the studio has made her a valuable asset to the team. When she isn't taking names in the gallery or organizing our social media posts for the next year (seriously), she's traveling the California coast soaking in everything it has to offer!              

Ethan's a southern California native, studied photojournalism in Arizona focusing on refugee resettlement, cut trails with the USFS in Montana, learned studio photography in New York, and most recently finished riding his bicycle across the American South. His process is rooted in going and seeing. When not on his bike, he's probably climbing or surfing. He's here to learn the art of running a photography business and we're stoked to have him!