Today's

Today's guest is perhaps the most renowned and famous photographer to ever come from the surf world.

You and maybe even your mom and kids probably follow him on Instagram.

Born in 1986 and raised in the central California town of Pismo Beach, Chris Burkhard got his first

camera at the age of 18. In the years just prior, he had discovered surfing and began traveling

through the less crowded and picturesque environments of Big Sur with his friends. Now that he had a

camera, he began documenting those experiences, and he recognized

that this may be his potential opportunity to get out of a small town. The desire to get out,

by the way, was implanted by surfing and surfing magazines. But it was really amplified

by working in a magazine store, where he had steady access to travel mags.

This passion became an insatiable urge in his life and despite his mom's pleading for him to go to

college because of his great grades, he set his sole focus on getting stamps in his passport

and making a living along the way. The camera would be the

tool. Two years later, he won the first annual Follow the Light Foundation Award, which was created

by Surfing Magazine to honor Larry Flame Moore. It's dedicated towards young professional surf

photographers. Two years after winning that, he then took a staff position with

Surfline, and then two years later, yet again, he took a position with Surfer Magazine.

His action shots were always great, but what he became known for were these pulled back

views of the ocean that incorporated a much broader landscape.

And while most surf photographers gravitate towards warm water locations, Burkhard focused on the

less surf touristed cold locales of Russia, Alaska, Chile, and most notably Iceland.

In 2012, he served as principal photographer on Keith

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