A portrait of Cody Strate holding a surfboard in Costa Rica at Surf Simply Resort

About me

Hi, I'm Cody

Photographer, adventurer, storyteller

Photography isn't just my profession; it's how I experience the world, connect with people, and tell stories that matter.

I've spent over three decades behind the lens searching for joy, beauty, and genuine human connection, and that pursuit has taken me around the world and shaped everything I create.

Let's talk

My approach to equipment

I choose my gear based on how it helps me connect with the subject and capture authentic feeling.

A black and white self portrait of Boulder photographer Cody Strate

Sony digital systems

Fast, reliable, and adaptable for the unpredictable moments where emotion unfolds in real time.

A self portrait of Cody Strate taken with a hasselblad medium format camera

Medium format film

Shooting on a Hasselblad 501c slows me down, makes me intentional, and creates images with texture and soul that digital can't replicate.

A black and white self portrait of Boulder Colorado photographer Cody Strate taken with a Hasselblad medium format camera

Glass with character

I choose lenses for character and mood, not clinical sharpness, because the best images have a little imperfection and a lot of feeling.

View my equipment

My story

A life built on curiosity and connection.

I grew up in a town of 200 people in Texas and moved to Colorado when I was 24, searching for mountains, adventure, and something bigger. After getting married and starting a family, we moved to a quiet beach town on the New Hampshire seacoast in 2009, where I fell in love with cold water surfing and learned what it means to chase something uncomfortable and rewarding. In 2019, we came back to Colorado, and I've been based in Boulder ever since with my wife of almost 20 years, our two kids, and two mutts.

A photo of boulder colorado photographer Cody Strate taking photos at Pikes Peak race to the clouds

a photo of boulder colorado photographer cody strate sitting on a surf board in the ocean in Nosara Costa Rica at Surf Simply Resort

I've always been the kind of person who needs to see what's over the next hill or around the next corner. That curiosity extends to people, too. I love sitting down with someone and discovering what makes them unique, beautiful, and fascinating. Photography became the perfect intersection of those two things: adventure and human connection. Whether I'm shooting in the studio or halfway across the world, I bring that same energy, always searching for authenticity, emotion, and stories worth telling.