After majoring in magazine and photo-journalism at the University of Kansas in the 1970's, John Birchard moved to in Los Angeles and received a grant from the Episcopal Church to set up a public access video center. As CEO of the Los Angeles Public Access Project he worked with community groups to produce programming for cable access channels.

In 1978, John and his wife Barbara packed up their VW van and headed north, eventually settling on the Mendocino Coast north of San Francisco where they have resided ever since.

In the years since, John has written and photographed three how-to books for Sterling Publishing of New York, produced videos, and authored numerous magazine articles. In 1990 he became partners in a photographic studio in Mendocino, and has since worked for various national and local clients.

John has traveled extensively in Latin America and in Asia. His favorite thing to do is pack up his cameras and head for the wilderness. He shows and sells his images from these forays at the Highlight Gallery in Mendocino. John also recognizes the compelling value of photography as a mirror of the human soul and loves to work with people in all walks of life to help them tell their stories.