Christopher John Ball is a widely exhibited, London based, Fine arts photographer and lecturer. Chris studied at the famous University of Derby, under the guidance of world renowned fine art photographers John Blakemore, Richard Sadler and Olivier Richon. Here he gained a BA(Hons), in Photographic Studies.

He was later awarded an MA, in Cultural Studies from Thames Valley University. His work is housed many public and private collections and is displayed within the pages of several major international online galleries.

He was born in Blackburn, Lancashire, within the United Kingdom, in 1960 and has been working professionally for almost 25 years and, whilst his photography covers many genre, he now specialises mainly in fine art erotic imagery. Though he has used professional models he prefers to use amateur, or aspiring, models that he finds on his travels around London or who approach him after being recommended by models he has previously worked with.

Rarely working in colour, these images are produced using traditional monochromatic techniques, often selenium and/or gold toned for both archival and aesthetic reasons, and alternative processes such as cyanotypes and gum bichromate's. Producing images in series and Chris often displays the resultant photographs in hand made book form. Examples can be found within his site at http://www.cjballphotography.co.uk .

During the 1980's Chris helped set up Action Factory Community Arts, an organisation devoted to promoting the arts within the community of Lancashire, and empowering disadvantaged members of that community with the skills to produce art in various mediums and exhibit their work to a wider audience. In the mid 80's Chris produced a major exhibition based upon his home town, entitled ' Blackburn - a town and its people'. This was widely exhibited, funding being provided by The Arts Council and Blackburn Borough Council. Photographs from that exhibition can be found within the pages of this website.

As a lecturer Chris is a photographic evangelist, believing it to be the most democratic of artforms. He encourages students to explore an emotional/subjective response to the medium and in so doing bring something of themselves to the images they produce, believing that every photographic image should contain the " signature " of the author.

Ever keen to promote and encourage the use of photography as a creative medium, Chris posts many of the formulae and techniques he uses within the pages of his website.

In addition to photographic work Chris also works in film and theatre. He has recently completed a play ' Throwing Stones', co-written with Dean Sipling. They are now at work on two new works to be entitled ' An English Dead ' and ' Dancing at Tynburn '.