GardensOddly, garden photography was never on my top ten to-do list. With a career in photojournalism, it was all about action and the adrenaline that came with it.  The antidote to those "master of disaster" years was always solitary walks in the high Sierra mountains of California. The wild beauty of nature does rejuvenate the weary spirit.Gardens, however, have played a strong role in my cultural life. From small personal gardens of friends and relatives to major endeavours, I have enjoyed the serenity that organized wildness can provide.Visits to major gardens like Kew Gardens in London, Longwood Gardens outside Philadelphia, the Los Angeles County Arboretum, and other Los Angeles public gardens have long been a source of joy and socialization with loved ones and friends.In fact, 30 years ago my wife and I were married outdoors in the Philadelphia area Tyler Arboretum.Gardens have played a big role in my life, but I never made photos in them. This was probably because I couldn't  innovate beyond  the sense of reality that the photojournalism mindset dictates. My ten year hiatus from active shooting has been filled with teaching a new generation the strengths in fact based reporting and the critical thinking that comes with it.It was a decade of thinking about what photography can be, and how I should approach it as an artist. During our 30th wedding anniversary trip to British Columbia, I finally had a breakthrough. Slow shutter speeds to blend the colors in an impressionistic way that hints at the ephemera of time. The parks and gardens provided the raw materials, luck and risk-taking provided the rest. Upcoming Artist in Residence for the Mojave National Preserve application excerpt:Document in an informative and artful manner the convergence of cultural sites, dramatic geological forms, the diversity of life forms and the sense of isolation availableto Preserve visitors.The opportunity to engage in a project that promotes the National Parks, Preserves and open public lands is a critical endeavor. Keeping the importance of these spaces vividly alive in the minds of people worldwide promotes a mindful conservation of the human benefits of natural spaces.

Gerard Burkhart is a photographer who has worked for major U.S. and international publications and had photos published in three Pulitzer Prize winning editions of the Los Angeles Times. Chosen as an Artist in Residence for 2018 by The Mojave National Preserve Foundation. In 2015, he was listed to the Fulbright Specialists roster to engage in educational diplomacy for the U.S. State Department As a photo educator student success at Santa Monica College (SMC) includes:  guiding photographers who consistently win local, state and national awards from assignments produced in class, including the 2016 College Photographer of the Year; coaching six community college students into acceptance at the prestigious Eddie Adams Workshop; leading five community college Master Classes in a Getty Museum backed educational partnership; and placing photographers in the industry respected  Sports Shooter Academy in 2015, 2016 and 2017. In  November, 2015 he had a photo in  the  Fresh Focus group exhibition at the Leica Store in Los Angeles

Professional roles: Curator, Journalist, Lecturer, Photographer, Teacher

Location: United States