By now Chris Burkard is a photographer of mythic proportions. And it’s not just his photos that have built him that reputation – although that’s certainly a major part of it. Burkard finds comfort in the icy depths of unexplored coasts well above (and below) the equator. It’s a dichotomy if ever there were one. When the general public thinks surfing, they typically think boardshorts and bikinis, maybe summer and sunscreen. And yet Burkard has built his photography around juxtaposing the act of surfing against stunning backdrops of snow and ice in places like Iceland and Norway.
The difficulty with photography, though, is it’s static. It fails to capture the story behind the lens, and the trials and tribulations that went into capturing the perfect image. Burkard’s new film “Under an Arctic Sky” is all about tracing that pursuit honestly.
According to the trailer’s video description, it’s, “a film project documenting the journey to the most remote corner of Iceland in the middle of winter in search of perfect surf. A few days in, the worst storm in twenty-five years blows through and shuts down the country, turning the search for waves into a life-threatening prospect.”
As per usual with anything that Chris Burkard puts his name on, the visuals of the trailer alone are incredible. And at only a minute long it’s just that, a tease. We can’t wait to see more from this project.
Check out more from Chris Burkard on Vimeo.
