Jay Rickard has been photographing Chris Topel since September 2013 but has had a camera in his hand since 1991. Throughout all this time Jays favorite images have been born from developing a strong working repoire with individual models. The elite few who have built this synergistic working relationship between model and photographer have been part of some truly inspired art work and these images of Chris are no exception.

The first session with any model can be awkward and strained a bit though many great images have come out of this scenario. Jay sees an initial shoot as a vetting process. Those who are invited back for a second shoot have hit his creative radar. Those who continue passed a second shoot are in the running for the title of Muse. Beyond that a synergistic creative relationship is born where literally anything can happen.

Chris has accepted Jay Rickards creative process and exercised patience through typical artist dysfunctions causing schedule changes, weird ideas that turned out better than they probably should have and mood swings that sometimes lead to swearing at lighting equipment. Chris is a good egg. Photographers and artists working in any other discipline would be lucky to have him as a subject of their creations.