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Storyteller

Storyteller

Human Eyes. Honest Stories.

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Author: Stanley Leary

Who Is Stanley Leary? Stanley Leary is a visual storyteller, photographer and communications professional based in Roswell, Georgia. With a career spanning photojournalism, corporate communications, and digital asset management, he has helped organizations tell their stories through photography, video, and visual communication. He works with businesses, nonprofits, ministries, educational institutions and community organizations throughout Metro Atlanta, North Georgia and beyond. Photography With a Communications Background Stanley began his career as a photojournalist before spending nine years on the communications staff at Georgia Tech. That mix of journalism, photography, and communications still shapes how he approaches his work today. For Stanley, photography isn’t simply about making a good picture. It’s about understanding what an organization is trying to communicate, who needs to hear it, and what story can help convey it. Experience That Goes Beyond the Camera Over the years, Stanley’s clients and assignments have included Chick-fil-A, Coca-Cola, Newell Brands, Kimberly-Clark, and Georgia Tech, as well as nonprofits, ministries, educational institutions, and community organizations. His photography and storytelling work has taken him throughout the United States and internationally. That experience has taught him that the strongest stories are usually found in people—the people who make an organization work, the people it serves and the people whose experiences give its mission meaning. What Makes His Approach Different? Stanley starts with curiosity. Before picking up a camera, he wants to understand the people, purpose, and story behind an assignment. Sometimes that means creating an environmental portrait. Sometimes it means documenting an event, a community, or a moment you can’t recreate. And sometimes the most important part of the assignment is helping a client figure out what story needs to be told in the first place. The camera is the tool. The story comes first. More Than a Photographer Stanley’s background also includes teaching and mentoring photographers and communicators. He has taught photography and photojournalism at institutions including the University of Georgia, University of the Nations, Reinhardt College, Berry College, Portfolio Center, and Dallas Baptist University. Teaching has reinforced something he has learned throughout his career: effective visual communication begins with understanding why the story matters. Let’s Tell Your Story If you need someone to take pictures, many photographers can do that. If you need someone who can listen, ask questions, understand the story, and use photography, video, and visual communication to help tell it, Stanley brings more than four decades of experience to the assignment. Have a story you need to tell? Let’s talk.
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Where Is Your Audience When They Encounter Your Story?

Where Is Your Audience When They Encounter Your Story?

by Stanley LearySeptember 18, 2026September 20, 2026

The technology has changed. The question hasn't. Years ago, I wrote about understanding your audience and where they'd likely encounter your message. At the time, I thought about commuting to work, listening to podcasts, reading…

Nose Blind to Your Own Story: Why Photographers Stop Seeing What’s Right in Front of Them

Nose Blind to Your Own Story: Why Photographers Stop Seeing What’s Right in Front of Them

by Stanley LearySeptember 17, 2026September 17, 2026

Today I was at Chris and Rich Moeckel's house, and the conversation drifted to deer. They and their neighbors see them constantly — deer in the yard, deer in the driveway, even a black bear…

The Practice Habit: Why Storytellers Need Projects Nobody’s Paying For

The Practice Habit: Why Storytellers Need Projects Nobody’s Paying For

by Stanley LearySeptember 16, 2026September 16, 2026

I was listening to a podcast recently with memory coach Jim Kwik, and one thing he said stuck with me: your brain grows through stressors, and athletes, musicians, and pilots all keep rehearsing skills they've…

The Stories That Get Shared Aren’t Always About What a Business Sells

The Stories That Get Shared Aren’t Always About What a Business Sells

by Stanley LearySeptember 15, 2026September 15, 2026

I’ve been thinking a lot about what makes a business story worth sharing. For years, businesses have been told that good marketing is about showing the product: the beautiful food, the new building, the smiling…

Local Nonprofit Steps Up for Roswell’s Heroes

Local Nonprofit Steps Up for Roswell’s Heroes

by Stanley LearySeptember 14, 2026September 14, 2026

ROSWELL, Ga. — When a Roswell firefighter's family found themselves sleeping in hospital waiting rooms after his son was badly hurt in a bicycle accident, a local nonprofit stepped in to cover their hotel bills…

If you loved ’80s British synth-pop, this is the band you need to see live

If you loved ’80s British synth-pop, this is the band you need to see live

by Stanley LearySeptember 11, 2026September 11, 2026

WOODSTOCK, Ga. — If British synth-pop and new wave ever crossed your life — through MTV, a John Hughes movie or a Cameron Crowe soundtrack somewhere in the 1980s and into the '90s — LIPS…

Rethinking My External SSD Workflow (Why My “Old” SSDs Still Have Plenty Left in Them)

Rethinking My External SSD Workflow (Why My “Old” SSDs Still Have Plenty Left in Them)

by Stanley LearySeptember 10, 2026September 10, 2026

For the past several years, my workflow has been built around a stack of SanDisk, Crucial & Samsung T7 portable SSDs — 1TB, 2TB, and 4TB. I bought them because they were fast, small enough…

Photo Mechanic Plus Is Gone. What Could Be Next?

Photo Mechanic Plus Is Gone. What Could Be Next?

by Stanley LearySeptember 8, 2026September 8, 2026

Photo Mechanic Plus Is Discontinued. Here's Why I'm Not Switching — Yet. If you've built your workflow around Photo Mechanic Plus, you need to hear this: Camera Bits has pulled it from sale. The catalog…

You Can’t Control the Subject: What Wildlife and Sports Photography Teach Us About Odds

You Can’t Control the Subject: What Wildlife and Sports Photography Teach Us About Odds

by Stanley LearySeptember 6, 2026September 6, 2026

Baylor Bears running back DAWSON PENDERGRASS (35) runs with the football against the Auburn Tigers during the Aflac Kickoff Game, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Saturday, Sept. 5, 2026. Every photograph is a negotiation between…

Why I’ve Shot Nikon Since 1982 (And Why It Was Never Really About the Camera)

Why I’ve Shot Nikon Since 1982 (And Why It Was Never Really About the Camera)

by Stanley LearySeptember 4, 2026September 4, 2026

In 1982, I traded my Pentax K1000 and ME Super for my first Nikon FM2. I've stayed with Nikon ever since, and I've never regretted the decision. Looking back, I realize the camera brand was…

One Shoot, Three Jobs: Why Not Every Video Belongs in the Same Place

One Shoot, Three Jobs: Why Not Every Video Belongs in the Same Place

by Stanley LearySeptember 1, 2026September 1, 2026

A follow-up to "Why Your Great Product Idea Is Stuck in Your Head (And What to Do About It)" In that last post, I wrote about the invisible skill stack that keeps business owners from…

Why Your Great Product Idea Is Stuck in Your Head (And What to Do About It)

Why Your Great Product Idea Is Stuck in Your Head (And What to Do About It)

by Stanley LearyAugust 30, 2026August 30, 2026

You built something people need. Maybe it's a product that solves a real problem—but there's a catch: people won't buy it or use it well until they actually see how it works. You know a…

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