This is my friend Ryan—my best friend, actually. I made this portrait years ago during a trip to Arizona. We were in a quiet moment, and I saw something in the light, in the texture of the moment, that made me lift my camera.
It was shot fast, with available light, his back pressed against a weathered wooden fence. Nothing was staged. No lighting setup. No time to think. Just instinct, trust, and friendship.
This portrait has remained one of my favorite images of all time. There's something honest in it—something I can’t quite describe but feel every time I look at it.
Over the years, this image has taken on a life of its own. It's been lifted and reused online more times than I can count—including once on a Russian website where it was used to depict Christ. I will never stop reminding Ryan that he is, in fact, the "Russian Jesus." That’s what friends are for, after all.
Creating images of the things and people we care about isn’t just a nice idea—it’s essential. As artists, it’s how we stay connected to our work. It grounds us. Reminds us why we started.
