George Leslie Burkholder was born on March 1, 1933 in Sheho, Saskatchewan. In his youth, Burkholder’s apprenticed as a wooden patternmaker and worked with the government and private engineering firms. He began his lifelong interest in photography using a Kodak Brownie and folding Balda camera. In his spare time, Burkholder photographed cars and nursing students. He started seriously pursuing photography after moving to L.A., California in 1961 where he met William Mortenson. Mortenson taught him technique at his studio on the weekends while Burkholder attended Long Beach State night school for photography.
While working as a design draftsman for a plumbing and heating company in Calgary, Burkholder attended Winona School of Photography to learn architectural photography and later documented the company’s work and equipment on site.
In 1975 Burkholder dedicated himself to becoming a professional photographer, purchasing Burlin Studios in New Westminster. Over three months, Burlin taught Burkholder the business and studio operations. He specialized in portraiture, wedding photography, retouching, and restorations. In 1993 Burkholder sold his business to resist the trend in digital photography.
