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Author: Stanley Leary

Most companies know the value of a good story, but do not know how to tell their own story. Leary has a process to find and tell stories that communicate how they change lives, so that their companies grow again. Some of his clients include Chick-fil-A, Newell-Rubbermaid, Coke, Georgia Tech, and The Carter Center. Leary’s work has taken him across the United States and beyond — to Chile, Peru, Burkina Faso, Canada, France, Ghana, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Portugal and Romania. The experiences of this award-winning communications allow him to engage audiences with storytelling that builds organization’s brand. His U.S. clients find that ability translates into making their messages cross-culturally relevant with diverse American audiences and within the mainstream media. Prior to forming his own company, Leary worked on staff for The Hickory (N.C.) Daily Record and theCOMMISSION magazine in Richmond, VA. For nine years he was on staff with PR team at Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Ga. Leary is also a teacher. He enjoys sharing his expertise with others. He has taught storytelling and brand building at Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Georgia, Athens, Ga.; The University of the Nations, Kona, Hawaii; Reinhardt College, Waleska, Ga.; Berry College, Rome, Ga.; Portfolio Center, Atlanta, Ga.; and Dallas (Texas) Baptist University. He also has been a guest lecturer at World Journalism Institute, Washington, D.C.; Southwestern Photojournalist Conference, Fort Worth, Texas; Art Institute of Atlanta, Ga.; American Society of Media Photographers. Atlanta (Ga.) Chapter; and the Southeastern Photographic Society, Atlanta Ga. Clients often contract him to teach their staffs to become more visually effective in building their brand. Leary lives in Roswell, Ga., holds degrees in social work and communications, and is married to Dorie Griggs. They have three children.
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What You Miss When You Only Photograph the Moment

What You Miss When You Only Photograph the Moment

by Stanley LearyMay 4, 2026May 4, 2026

Friends dressed in Derby attire attend the fourth annual Down & Derby fundraiser benefiting Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Crabapple Market Green on Saturday, May 2, 2026, in Alpharetta, Ga. From left are Daniel and…

Moving from the Kid’s Table to the Adult Table

Moving from the Kid’s Table to the Adult Table

by Stanley LearyMay 1, 2026May 8, 2026

KSU Tellers Spring Performance There's a moment most of us miss entirely. The first time we're given a seat at the adult table. At first, you mostly listen. You laugh when others laugh. You absorb…

AI Can Make a Perfect Photo—But It Can’t Feel One

AI Can Make a Perfect Photo—But It Can’t Feel One

by Stanley LearyApril 30, 2026April 30, 2026

Two cowgirls who have dismounted from their horses are attempting to flip the steer to complete the sequence. In team roping, a header ropes the steer’s head while a heeler targets the hind legs, working…

Your Photo Isn’t the Whole Story

Your Photo Isn’t the Whole Story

by Stanley LearyApril 29, 2026April 29, 2026

Chief Pabel Troche couldn’t help but laugh in this moment during the Roswell Citizens’ Fire Academy. He had just asked Michael Dal Cerro a simple but loaded question: “If you were in a fire, who…

What a Bald Eagle Taught Me About Patience, Preparation, and Business

What a Bald Eagle Taught Me About Patience, Preparation, and Business

by Stanley LearyApril 27, 2026April 27, 2026

[NIKON Z 9, NIKKOR Z 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 VR S Z TC-1.4x, Mode = Manual, ISO 4500, 1/2500, ƒ/8, (35mm = 560)] The first time I photographed a Bald Eagle fishing, it happened in the first…

Understanding Anxiety Through Life Moments and Work Disruptions

Understanding Anxiety Through Life Moments and Work Disruptions

by Stanley LearyApril 20, 2026April 20, 2026

There are moments in life that seem small on the outside but create a cascade of thoughts on the inside. A camera strap coming undone is one of those moments for me. My Nikon Z…

Why Your Gut Reacts Before Your Brain: What Photojournalists Can Teach Us About Seeing

Why Your Gut Reacts Before Your Brain: What Photojournalists Can Teach Us About Seeing

by Stanley LearyApril 18, 2026April 18, 2026

I’ve long believed that photojournalists don’t just take pictures—they train themselves to see. And in doing so, they uncover something most people overlook: your gut reacts long before your brain has time to explain why.…

Seeing the Story Differently at Atlanta’s Eid Celebration

Seeing the Story Differently at Atlanta’s Eid Celebration

by Stanley LearyApril 16, 2026August 30, 2026

For years, I’ve attended the Atlanta Mayor’s Eid Celebration with a camera in hand—there to serve a client, ensure every moment was captured, and deliver a complete visual story of the evening. This time was…

My First Bald Eagle: Why Being Ready Matters More Than Being Perfect

My First Bald Eagle: Why Being Ready Matters More Than Being Perfect

by Stanley LearyApril 14, 2026April 14, 2026

[NIKON Z 9, NIKKOR Z 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 VR S Z TC-1.4x, Mode = Manual, ISO 9000, 1/2500, ƒ/8, (35mm = 560)] This morning reminded me why I still get excited about photography after all these…

AI Didn’t Replace Visual Storytelling—It Raised the Bar for Emotional Truth

AI Didn’t Replace Visual Storytelling—It Raised the Bar for Emotional Truth

by Stanley LearyApril 13, 2026April 13, 2026

There’s a lot of noise right now about AI in visual storytelling. Some say it will replace photographers. Others say it will make real images irrelevant. But what I’m seeing in the field tells a…

If the Camera Can Do Everything… What’s Left for the Photographer?

If the Camera Can Do Everything… What’s Left for the Photographer?

by Stanley LearyApril 10, 2026April 10, 2026

I’ve been watching cameras get smarter my entire career. Today, you can pick up a camera that will track a bird in flight, lock onto the eye, nail the exposure, and get you pretty close…

Why Smart Organizations Lead With Visual Storytelling

Why Smart Organizations Lead With Visual Storytelling

by Stanley LearyApril 9, 2026April 9, 2026

If your goal is to get people to understand what you do, words will get you there. If your goal is to get people to care, trust you, and ultimately take action, you need to…

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