Meet Alex Burke | Large Format Landscape Photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Alex Burke and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Alex, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I had actually been working full time as an automotive technician, but photography was a major driving force and passion in my life. I took advantage of every chance to get away from work and find myself in nature behind a camera. The job I had was enjoyable, but there were always various stresses and long hours; nothing could keep my away from what I really wanted to do. I started building it as a business while switching to part time employment, then after a few years the cord was cut completely and I was on my own as a landscape photographer.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My specialty is photographing off-the-beaten path landscapes in both Colorado and the entire west. We all know the west as the land of mountains, but I also have a deep fondness for the prairie and the minimal landscape that can be found there. I also have done things a bit differently by sticking with old fashioned film, particularly large format, which allows me to create images with a unique color palette that can also be printed as big as a customer could ever need.

I think the majority of my success has been from diversification of income and taking small, low-risk steps. It’s not just about selling prints, but I also educate other photographers looking to get started with film and offer unique film scanning services. Taking small steps was important, I always weighed risks and never put the burden of debt on the business just in case a particular decision backfired. This may result in slower growth than many business owners want to see, but the payoff has come through over a decade and I’ve managed to remain in control. Patience has been key.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Since we’re in Colorado I’d probably rope them into a week long backpacking trip! With endless acres of true wilderness, it’s magical to get lost out there. I think wilderness is best enjoyed with as few crowds as possible, so I’d probably encourage a trip to one of our less popular wilderness areas that don’t have any 14ers. An ideal week for me would include a trip where we camp in probably three or four locations in some sort of a loop, allowing a few rest days where we just take in the scenery and don’t have to hike all day.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Some of my early love of photography – and a major reason I got into shooting large format film – was inspired by Colorado photographer John Fielder. His books ranged from educational to inspirational and taught me a lot when I getting started. Others such as Alain Briot helped out with a book about the business side of art photography, though I’ll admit that the business of being a photographer these days is ever-evolving and books are only a good rough starting point.

Website: www.alexburkephoto.com

Instagram: @alexburkephoto

Facebook: @alexburkephoto

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/AlexBurke