Author: LeeAnne Bulman
Source: Groundglass, March 2004

On the fourth day of creation, God said "Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens . . . to give light on earth." And photographers are grateful for that light, especially Christopher Burkett.

As a monk in a religious order he was intrigued with the wonder of light he saw as he came out of the sanctuary at his cloister. He thought about painting what he saw, but felt people would not understand this light is real and not imaginative. He chose photography as a way to record the light as it exists, in a believable manner. He refuses to use digital cameras for this same reason. With digital, like painting, manipulation can result in a photo that is not an image of the real thing and Burkett is dedicated to photographing the world of nature as God created it.

"The world untouched and undefiled by man is one of indescribable beauty and wonder: a world filled with light and peace. The miracle of life unfolds before our eyes, and is seen in the tapestry of creation," he explains. When taking his pictures, he tries to take a "fresh look" at the earth and not try to reproduce photos he has already seen.
Burkett travels extensively around the country taking pictures. His favorite subjects are trees and leaves. Oftentimes he only shoots one frame, though he may shoot as many as fifty for one shot. He uses an 8x10 camera which presents challenges of its own. Long exposures are not easy to achieve with the large format cameras, though they have the advantage of showing less grain and more tonal values in the prints. Getting pictures takes much discipline; he may shoot for months before getting two or three quality photographs. By quality Burkett means a photo that touches the spiritual side of a person who looks at his work. He says, "Traditionally, art was not meant to be a worship of the ego of the artist, it was meant to be an expression of God's grace, of divine things."

He also realizes to gain this goal he needs to use color film, though he started his work using black and white. "A lot of what we sense about life has to do with the colors around us. So that's why I went into color," he says. His dedication to shooting color photos of nature as it exists also led him to decide that he would not use any filters.
. The quality of the final photo is achieved during the printing process, which Burkett does himself making 20x24 or 30x40 sized Cibachrome prints. Rather than try to remember what the light and the scene looked like as he tries to balance the color of the print, he looks at the print itself and checks the balance of the colors from area to area of the photo. He does some burning and dodging. He takes lots of time in printing; spending two years making the prints for his book, Intimations of Paradise. Like the shooting process, the printing takes discipline.

Most of Burkett’s work is sold in art galleries around the country and at his studio. Another advantage of his refusal to use digital is sales. Once people realize the photos are not just another manipulated photo, they are intrigued and willing to buy.

Burkett sums up why does what he does-"The purpose of my photography is to provide a brief, if somewhat veiled, glimpse into that clear and brilliant world of light and power."
(Quotes taken from View Camera Magazine)