Surf photographer Chris Burkard bears all in his breathtaking new book

New book WAYWARD by Chris Burkard nature, surfing and landscape photographer
(Image credit: Chris Burkard)

A leader in the field of surfing, landscape and nature photography, Chris Burkard is set to publish a new book titled Wayward, that promises to feature breathtakingly stunning photographs followed by deeply personal stories told from his adventures as a photographer. The book will be published on 03 February.

Previous past adventures at remote beaches and various locales in Russia, Norway and Iceland have seen Burkard succumbed to hypothermia, a few nights in jail and having destroyed thousands of dollars' worth of camera gear.

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Book cover of WAYWARD by Chris Burkard (Image credit: Chris Burkard)

Aside from being an incredible photographer and author, Burkard is also a conservation advocate, speaker, creative director and a bit of an Instagram sensation - with over 3.7 million followers! His life's work has seen both struggles and success, but in the process he is always capturing amazingly iconic images.

While millions may have seen and come across Burkard's work in magazines, social media, and marketing campaigns for the likes of Sony and Patagonia, a full account and details have never been given of these sensational journeys until now. Burkard crafts an original narrative of a great explorer's adventure story that will leave readers eager to reach the conclusion of page-turning images and dramas.

(Image credit: Chris Burkard)

(Image credit: Chris Burkard)

The book will include never-before-seen images by Burkard and gain an insight into the stories and insights behind their capture. The infectious passion that Burkard has for photography and adventure is unparalleled, this certainly comes across in Wayward through his images of awe-inspiring locations and action shots. 

A quote from Burkard in the Wayward prologue shares that "The dream was to be a surf photographer. But that was—and still is—a wildly misunderstood career path. It was not about hanging out on tropical beaches getting a tan. It was about chasing long-period swells around the globe with athletes of the highest calibre, while pushing my mind and body to wield a camera in big surf, while going toe-to-toe with some of the world’s most challenging waves.

"The unicorn of job titles: staff photographer. There were probably about thirty people in the entire world making a living as a surf photographer. I, on the other hand, didn’t even yet own a passport, let alone a good enough camera to produce an image worthy of a double-page spread. 

"The likelihood of seeing this dream realized was not unlike that of winning the lottery. But odds didn’t matter to me. I felt the calling and, one way or another, I was going to make a living with my camera by my side".

(Image credit: Chris Burkard)

(Image credit: Chris Burkard)

Extremely powerful story-telling takes place throughout Wayward, with behind the scenes style images that occupy the same space. Beautiful double page spreads of the best action images can be found with chapter titles so you always know where you are in the midst of the 328 pages. 

Wayward: Stories and Photographs by Chris Burkard will be published on 3 February by Abrams and can be purchased from all good retailers, including Amazon, with prices starting at $35 / £25 / AU$60.

Pre-order Chris Burkard's book at Amazon

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Beth Nicholls
Staff Writer

A staff writer for Digital Camera World, Beth has an extensive background in various elements of technology with five years of experience working as a tester and sales assistant for CeX. After completing a degree in Music Journalism, followed by obtaining a Master's degree in Photography awarded by the University of Brighton, she spends her time outside of DCW as a freelance photographer specialising in live music events and band press shots under the alias 'bethshootsbands'.