Dean Burke | Ocean Photographer | Paddler | Tacoma | US
Phenomenal ocean photographer Dean Burke is an avid paddle-boarder, adventurer, and CEO of Travel Tacoma - Mt. Rainer.
Putting his gear through extreme conditions, Dean captures his deep connection to the water and shares his mesmerising images with the world, in the hope that people will take a step back from fast-paced life, and really focus on the true beauty of our planet and ocean.
When did you first start your storytelling journey?
Circa 2014.
What are the fondest memories from your upbringing that you feel impacted your life choices and lifestyle today?
Being in salt water has been a common denominator of my life. I remember walking on a sand bar with my dad on the Gulf Coast after a major hurricane, and a dolphin swimming up to have a look at us. I was scared at first because I thought it was a bull shark. But it was a dolphin and it spent several minutes swimming around us as we walked in the waist-deep water of the newly formed sand bar.
I have been drawn toward a connection with the sea and sea life ever since.
What path did you choose after leaving school?
Professional athlete was my first major step. As such, athleticism has been a foundation in my life. Over the last 15 years, much of that has been realised through the ocean and as a paddler.
Who/what currently inspires you?
I am inspired by anyone who finds it within themselves to go further into the sea. Even if that may only be in the water they can stand in… If it challenges them and in that experience, they find change within themselves, I am drawn to this.
What do you value most?
A deeper connection to all that surrounds us. A meaningful connection that is not screen-driven.
What would you most like to change in the world/environment today?
A call for less chaos in everything we do. Like a slow-cooked meal… Our experiences need to be slower too. We need to make more room to understand everything we do, and its effects on who we are.
What legacy do you hope to leave?
That access to a clean sea is not just an ‘environmental message’, but that it will affect the course and quality of our lives through richer, more meaningful experiences that we can share and pass down.
What advice would you give to anyone looking to follow their dreams as an ocean Storyteller?
Study the art of storytelling. Learn what it takes to bring your experiences to an audience. You could tell the same story half a dozen ways, and you will have to do just that to make it resonate with different audiences.
Keep pursuing the experiences and keep that bank full. But, be prepared to really study how to move those experiences in authentic ways.
INSTAGRAM: @TacomaAndTheSea
