About
Hello, I’m Chris Alford, a photographer and content creator based in Los Angeles, CA. This website contains my portfolio, Fine art prints for sale, and resources like my photography gear list, and PCT hiking gear list.
My Photography Story
As a teenager I began to fall in love with photography. When I was 14 years old, in the summer before I started attending high school, I took a photography class where we learned to shoot on black and white film. I loved the experience of creating images from start to finish, which solidified my love for photography from that time on.
My Thru-Hiking Journey
My interest in elevating my landscape photography around 2015 led me to discover the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). Initially, I learned about the John Muir Trail (JMT) while researching backpacking trips. In my exploration, I discovered that a large portion of the JMT overlapped with the PCT, sparking my curiosity.
From there, I dove deeper into the world of long-distance hiking, finding inspiration from YouTube creators like Red Beard, Dixie, Starburst, and many others. Their stories motivated me to pursue my own PCT journey.
Originally, I planned to hike the PCT northbound in 2020, starting in mid-April with a permit in hand. However, the outbreak of COVID-19 compelled me to postpone the hike. In 2021, I secured another permit and managed to hike 789 miles before facing altitude sickness in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, exiting at Kearsarge Pass.
Unfulfilled, I was determined to complete the trail. In 2022, I started again from the beginning and hiked as much of the trail as possible, only missing sections closed due to wildfires.
This journey not only solidified my love for long-distance hiking but also transformed my approach to landscape photography. Now, as I prepare to thru-hike the Continental Divide Trail (CDT) southbound starting in July 2024, I'm eager to capture and share the diverse landscapes and unique challenges of this incredible adventure.
