Topher Burke - Mountain Life Photography
Topher Burke is a local, Two-Spirit, Métis artist who recently returned home to his roots in the Columbia Valley. Years of inner city life and it's hard disconnection from the natural world of his ancestors had taken a deep toll mentally, physically and spiritually. Since returning, they have started learning the family business, become a volunteer Firefighter, become the volunteer Vice President of the Columbia Valley Métis Association, and a Suicide Alertness spokesperson, hosting workshops.
Every possible weekend since returning has been spent deep in the mountains of the East and West Kootenays. Road tripping through rainforests, ghost towns, forest fires, hiking around alpine lakes, finding hidden hot springs, mountain biking down near-vertical trails and countless nights spent staring up upon millions of stars; the experience has been profound and deeply therapeutic. Soul recharging and calming in the best way a person can imagine.
Re-energised after months of intense forest bathing, calm solitude, gratitude, deep decompression and reconnecting with the mountains and the forests where his roots come from, he was inspired to pick up the camera once more. This time to use their skills and passion for the art of photography; documenting the immense beauty the Kootenays have to offer, and to share this gift of Mother Nature’s majesty with the world.