Christopher Burkett  (American, 1951) 

Christopher Burkett (American, b.1951) is a landscape photographer who was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest. He was nearsighted as a child and was finally given glasses to wear when he was in the first grade. Being able to clearly see the world for the first time allowed the photographer to discover and appreciate its beauty. "My eyes were opened and I could see, really see, the physical world and all of its exceedingly fine, exceedingly important details," he wrote in an essay titled World of Wonder. As a young man, he was a member of an Orthodox Christian brotherhood; he became interested in photography in 1975, during his time with the order. In 1979, after seven years with the brotherhood, he left it and married his wife Ruth.

Burkett spent time learning about the offset printing process. He learned about the principles of color and tone reproduction, which allowed him to perfect his art, by running multiple printing presses and laser scanners over a period of 15 years. He and his wife would travel the United States for two months each year, avoiding the major sightseeing areas and national parks and instead opting to photograph lesser-known areas. There are no people or animals in his photographs, and he has a particular interest in taking pictures of trees. He has published several books of his photography, including Imitations of Paradise, a highly-praised collection that contains some of his most popular photographs spanning 25 years of his career. In 1999, that collection was awarded Book of the Year in the Art and Photography category by the North American Bookdealers. He also won an award issued by the Hasselblad Masters in 2004 for the same book.

Burkett is currently recognized as one of the nation's experts in printing Cibachrome (Ilfochrome), which is a dye destruction process that uses polyester paper. His pictures have been featured in many public and private collections, such as at Joseph Bellows Gallery in La Jolla, CA, and the Kathleen Ewing Gallery in Washington, D.C. He taught classes for the Friends of Photography and Anderson Ranch Arts Center. Some of Burkett’s notable photographs include Pink and White Dogwoods and Blue Glacial Ice. The photographer currently lives in Oregon, and still travels throughout the United States to take pictures.