The new YouTube series First Take With Chris Burkard explores the Sony Artisan Of Imagery’s favorite places, food, culture and things to do. In the first episode of the series, Burkard is joined by adventure photographer L. Renee Blount in one of his favorite places – Iceland – to do one of his favorite things – fly. Burkard surprises Blount with the news that they’ll be going up in an airplane to capture the country from a different perspective. “I love the idea of taking people to places they’ve never been,” says Burkard. After the flight the two discuss the shared experience and continue to have a candid discussion about life as a creative.
Burkard is joined by adventure photographer L. Renee Blount in one of his favorite places – Iceland – to do one of his favorite things – fly.
“I think sometimes you do something so often,” explains Burkard, “like for me again, it seems odd to say it, but having flown a lot, you kind of almost become used to it, like accustomed to it. I feel like, ‘Am I capturing that, am I creating really something special still?’ Because in the beginning everything feels so exciting, so unique. I guess that’s just photography in general. And that’s why, to me, there’s almost more joy in seeing somebody else get after it. Being like, ‘Oh my gosh my hands are freezing but I can’t stop this is so fun.’”
He continues, “That reminds me of my first time. And that reminds me of my first experience and I think that in some ways in life we’re always looking to kind of recreate those special experiences. We’re looking for ways to live once again that moment that was so unique to us. I think that’s what’s really cool about sharing experiences, is it allows you to do that for a moment and it allows you to kind of have that little opportunity. It’s kind of like having that excitement again, even if it’s brief.”
Blount, whose outdoor and adventure photography focuses on being inclusive and featuring all types of people, agrees with Burkard and how shared experiences can help open doors for others. “I think for me, with my photos and the way I like to shoot and bring people along,” explains Blount, “it’s about being able to tell a story that I don’t think people always see, and making sure that they’re seeing people that look like me, people that are more diverse and people just having a rad time. And it’s not just limited to people of color, but it is especially to make sure that people of color know that this is an opportunity and an example. It’s an invitation, I want everyone to feel like they’re included.”
Stay tuned to AlphaUniverse.com for future episodes and don't forget to give us a Like and subscribe to Alpha Universe on YouTube.
Postscript: Haraldur Diego, the volcano pilot for Burkard and Blount's flight and a longtime friend of Burkard's, has sadly passed away since the filming of this episode. This episode is presented in memory of him.
