Imagine you’re 22 years old and inside the walls of a Vladivostok prison cell. Your only human contact is a one-eyed Russian guard named Igor. With 3.4 million followers on Instagram, chances are good you see Chris Burkard’s images on your phone regularly--but do you know what goes in to capturing them? As one of the most highly regarded photographers in the world, Chris has made a name for himself by beautifully capturing moments from some of the wildest and most remote corners of the globe. An incredibly capable athlete in his own right, he often has to endure incredible discomfort, challenges, and misadventures to find these moments. In the second episode of The Adventure Stache, Payson sits down with Chris and gets inside the head of one of the hardest working and toughest adventurers he’s met. Chris tells us about where his famous work ethic comes from, and how at 19 he was willing to put everything on the line and live in poverty in the name of chasing a dream. He talks about his love for ultra-distance riding (he’s just getting warmed up when he hits 100 miles), the double-edged sword of social media, and why putting his camera away is the most important step to getting “the shot".

Instagram: @withpacepod
YouTube: Payson McElveen