When I first skied at Lake Louise in Banff, Alberta, Canada, I knew I needed to work there for my gap year after graduation. After grad, I applied and was fortunate to receive a position at the resort. Quickly time flew by, and as the winter season of 2019 came to an end I discovered there’s nothing like the wonderful people and epic natural grandeur of the snow-capped Rockies, and the local remoteness that creates an atmosphere of tranquility, as well as the wish to never return to the “real world.”
Currently, I am a fourth-year media major and marketing minor at Indiana University. After working at Lake Louise, and the Vail Ski Resort over recent winters, I have enhanced my abilities as a skier, and as a photographer, but most importantly as a team leader. As a fourth-year student, I have pursued my passions for photography, art, creative media, and marketing at Indiana University, while also battling and overcoming challenges related to my health.
While working at the Lake Louise Ski Resort in 2019, I created a photography website, and have since broadened my photography expertise. Similarly, while working at the Vail Ski Resort in 2020, I enhanced my skiing abilities and also received a sponsorship from a Colorado ski company. Other than enhancing my skiing abilities, I also improved upon my cohesive teamwork with others and was able to see my passions in media and marketing. As a creative person, I want to combine my creativity for photography and art in the business field in the near future. Currently, I manage a photography website called KelsonBurnsPhotography.com (being updated as of January 21, 2025) which shows my best images in digital albums. Additionally, I am pursuing license partnerships with local brands around Bloomington, Indiana, USA to promote my photography.
My five-year plan includes graduating from the University of Indiana in 2025, then working as a photography manager, media director, or marketing director at a ski resort in the Canadian Rockies (possibly Lake Louise). After one or two more seasons in the Rockies, I plan to travel around the world working in multiple towns, cities, and different countries. During this time, I will expand upon my current knowledge, see the world, learn from intellectual and wise people, and capture spectacular images that will give me a chance to win the "Landscape Photographer of the Year" award.
I believe in experiencing the world, learning firsthand about cultures, and delving into the bigger picture of life. To me, the bigger picture is creating images of moments that tell a story with a thousand words.
How long have I been taking photos? I have been taking photos on a DSLR camera since 2017, therefore 2025 will be my eighth year taking photos (my fourth year professionally). I have discovered a few important photography tips/tricks through online forums such as Reddit and Facebook. However, I have taught myself many of my photographic techniques such as panning and long exposures through trial and error. Despite the trial and error, many photos I capture (96-99%) are absolutely terrible. There are very few photos that I actually deem "perfect" images, because an individual will always continue to grow their knowledge in a specific field, which means their newly created artwork is usually better than their previous. Therefore, I occasionally decide to remake some of my original photos, but far better than before.
Some people also ask, how are my photos so vibrant and crisp looking? My photos are very vibrant thanks to my Pentax-K3 camera which captures intense hues and vibrant colors perfectly (except for certain reds). Unlike some cameras, what you see in person is exactly what the Pentax-K3 will capture on a photo. Therefore, a majority of my photos are not edited, or edited very slightly to increase the saturation or vibrance, or make the clarity of certain objects more defined. My camera also converts photos into 6000 by 4000 pixels, as well as files up to 30mb (if photographed in Raw), therefore my images are extremely crisp and clear because of the high pixel rate. Additionally, my Sigma 150-500mm lens also helps improve the quality of certain images, especially panning shots because of its optical stabilization.
What cameras do I use? - Pentax K-3, K-1, ME Super, and Fujica DL-100. Which do I like best? - Definitely the Fujica DL-100 (a film camera), because it's compact, lightweight, simple to use, and takes great photos.Lenses? - Sigma DG 150-500mm 1:5-6:3 APO HSM, SMC Pentax DA 18-55mm, and Tamron 28-300mm f/3.5-6.3 XR Di VC LD Aspherical.
Where have I been? - Canada, Russia, China, Australia, South Africa, Italy, France, Switzerland, Monaco, Germany, Vatican City, United States, Mexico, Spain, Czech Republic, Netherlands, Belgium, Finland, Lichtenstein, and Japan.Where do I plan to go next? Italy, Turkey, United Kingdom, Czech Republic. Romania, Laos, Slovenia.
Where do I want to go? I want to go on a European adventure during the summer of 2025 or 2026. I'd like to visit many of these countries: Czech Republic, Romania, Slovenia, Greece, Laos, Croatia, Slovakia, Hungary, Montenegro, Austria, Albania, Singapore, Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Norway. Even though many of these countries are not part of Europe, they are still countries that I would love to visit in the near future.
Lake Louise Ski Resort in Banff, Alberta, Canada - Skied more than 75+ times
Banff Sunshine in Banff, Alberta, Canada
Revelstoke in British Columbia, Canada
Panorama Mountain Resort in British Columbia, Canada
Kicking Horse Mountain in British Columbia, Canada
All four of the mountains in Aspen, Colorado, USA, which include: Aspen Mountain, Snowmass, Aspen Highlands, and Buttermilk
Steamboat Ski Area in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, USA
Telluride Ski Resort in Miguel County, Colorado, USA
Jackson Hole in Teton Village, Wyoming, USA
Arizona Snowbowl in Flagstaff, Arizona, USA
Beaver Creek Ski Resort in Beaver Creek, Colorado, USA
Keystone Resort in Summit County, Colorado, USA
Breckenridge Ski Resort in Breckenridge, Colorado, USA - Home of the highest chairlift in North America at an elevation of 12,840 feet.
Arapahoe Basin (A-Basin) in Summit County, Colorado, USA
Loveland Ski Area in Clear Creek County, Colorado, USA
Vail Ski Resort in Vail, Colorado, USA - Skied more than 100+ times
Caberfae Peaks in Cadillac, Michigan, USA
Boyne Mountain Resort in Boyne Falls, Michigan, USA
Crystal Mountain in Benzie County, Michigan, USA
Bittersweet Ski Resort in Allegan County, Michigan USA
Perfect North in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, USA
Paoli Peaks in Paoli, Indiana, USA
This section describes some of Kelson's personal interests.
Other than skiing and photographing, Kelson has an array of interests, hobbies, and favorite things he likes to enjoy in his free time. These include: spending time with his girlfriend, playing videogames (Fortnite, Minecraft, Skyrim, GTA 5, Cod Mobile), making music, painting, hiking, traveling, playing competitive trading card games, and watching movies/TV shows, and go-karting.
Some of his favorite shows are Beverly Hills 90210, Suits, Friday Night Lights, The 100, and Top Gear/The Grand Tour, Avatar (Cartoon)
Favorite Movies: Tombstone, Cars, Speed Racer, Gladiator, Avatar, Shape of Water, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, Fast and Furious Tokyo Drift, The Dark Knight
Places I've lived: Lake Louise in Banff, Alberta, Canada. The town of Vail in Vail, Colorado, USA, and currently the town of Bloomington in Bloomington, Indiana, USA.
I enjoy collecting objects like Supreme clothing, Hotwheels cars (mainly ones that resemble real-life vehicles), Legos (especially the large sets that are perfect to display), artwork that shows scenic locations, and many different trading card games like Pokemon, Yugioh, Magic the Gathering and even some sports cards.
Like many others, I'm a big fan of Formula 1, albeit I became a fan far before Drive to Survive was a thing. My first year watching Formula 1 was in 2013, which was the first year Lewis Hamilton drove for Mercedes. Since watching Lewis win all those races with the silver arrows I'll definitely be rooting for him at Ferrari, and many other drivers like Sainz, Gasly, Hulkenberg, and Albon. Fortunately, I was able to attend the 75th annual Monaco Grand Prix during the Spring of 2017 in May, which was also my first F1 race in person.
Kelson is also a fan of automobiles. He frequently attends late night races at the Bloomington Speedway or the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Additionally he knows how to drive manual/stick shift.
Kelson also enjoys attending air shows and air museums. His favorite plane is the SR71 Blackbird.
