JP’s captivating presentations have enthralled over 250 camera clubs, societies, and camera gear brands. With a distinctive blend of storytelling, behind-the-scenes insights, philosophical musings, and actionable advice, his talks always start conversations.
“Our members were on the edge of their seats for the entire time!`` Hillsborough Photo Society
I’m taking bookings for my latest photography talk: The Charro, and the Unexpected Rewards of a Long Term Photography Project.
The Charro has a fascinating mythology that inspired me throughout this 5 year project. I spent months, deep in Charro Country, getting to know the people, their traditions… and being taught some cool rope tricks.
Great storytelling will help an audience connect emotionally to your images.
Long term photography projects help you learn the art at a deeper level.
LOCATION SCOUTING
This talk is not currently available.
PHOTOGRAPHY TALKS TESTIMONIALS
See what people who attended my photography talks had to say:
A fresh and fascinating talk!
Thank you for a very interesting and enjoyable evening. There was a lot of talk afterwards about how great your images were and we were all really taken with your idea of intention and story telling. I think we often talk about an image telling a story but this often happens by chance so the notion of thinking of the story first and then creating the image is really fresh and fascinating. We are all going to go out and buy smoke machines now!
A very entertaining, inspirational and thought-provoking session.
A very entertaining, inspirational and thought-provoking session. JP's passion for photographic storytelling is obvious and his message contagious. He inspired our members to consider how to best weave a narrative into their images. I purchased a smoke machine and have the inspiration to include in my portraiture!
Wow! That was the best presentation I’ve seen in a long time.
JP. Wow! That was the best presentation I’ve seen in a long time. Your images are absolutely brilliant! The use of the word “story” in the context of photography has always troubled me. But the way you explained things, it really gave me a much better understanding of the term and how to go about visually communicating it. Thank you so much for the presentation. I have a limited number of living photographers that I call my favorites and I have now added your name to that list.
Enlightening!
JP presented us with a really terrific program. It was enlightening and very well organized.
It was fascinating to explore your mindset!
Thank you so much for your inspirational talk this evening. It was fascinating to explore your mindset and process in creating narrative images. The talk provided a lot of discussion and food for thought. It was universally well received by the Society.
Extremely interesting
Your talk on 'Storytelling for Photographers' was well-received by our members and extremely interesting from a Mexican cultural perspective, it was also very valuable in terms of lighting techniques, use of smoke and and model-management. Thank you!
I would highly recommend JP Stones for a presentation!
We had JP Stones present to us via zoom one night which was great! Our members thoroughly enjoyed his presentation, his background stories and loved seeing the behind-the-scenes of his images. JP was very open to any questions and presented very well. I would highly recommend JP Stones for a presentation!
You have reset our perspectives!
Your presentation this evening to Sale Photographic Society showed a refreshing approach to our art. In fact you have reset our perspectives on what we should seek. The images which you used to illustrate your approach were superb. We will think more about telling a story with our images in the future.
A very interesting and thought provoking talk last night.
Thank you for a very interesting and thought provoking talk last night. Your presentation went down well with members who were very enthusiastic about it. We all have to think now how we can tell a story with an image and scour Amazon for smoke machines!
The talk was professional, very enjoyable and invaluable!
It was a pleasure for our club to host JP Stones and his presentation on Storytelling for Photographers. It was great hearing JP’s perspective on storytelling and his intent behind his work. JP’s willingness to explain his thought process, showing examples of both his brilliant images as well as mistakes he has made was a real eye opener. The talk was presented in a professional way, was very enjoyable and our members found it invaluable.
Unlike anything we have had before!
Such a great presentation! It is unlike anything we have had before. Many of the points are applicable to the various genres of photography in which the members engage. Thank you!
I found your talk both engaging and inspirational.
I would also like to personally add my thanks for last night. I found your talk both engaging and inspirational, and the photography was excellent. Thanks once again.
JP’s work transcends photography alone.
JP's images have such beauty, that just on a superficial level they demand attention. But more than that, they transport the willing viewer into an unfamiliar time and place, and invite them to write the narrative. Our club learned a great deal about how to develop an intention for a photography shoot and work through that cohesive process to produce a narrative image which has a power and vibrance of its own. I would whole-heartedly recommend JP to clubs and societies - photographic and other. His work transcends photography alone.
Enjoyed your presentation very much!
Enjoyed your presentation very much and you gave us some great ideas and practical suggestions. One good thing that came out of the pandemic is the acceptance of distance learning and great presenters being available for small clubs like ours.
I was engrossed all evening and learned much.
have been to many, many camera club presentations and I must say that JP Stones talk on Storytelling in Photography last night was right up there. His photographs are first rate. His location in Mexico gives an interesting new subject setting and perspective I've not seen before. And in the presentation he openly and generously describes his journey and methods of photography. I was engrossed all evening and learned much.
It was a truly unique learning experience!
JP did a fantastic job describing the path he has been on to develop his photographic style and how it has evolved over time to the present. The images he shares exhibit the care and thought he puts into his photography and telling a story in one photo. It was a truly unique learning experience for me and for most of our photography club. JP was able to explain his unique vision and how other photographers can adopt or adapt it to fit into their future work. I have notes from the presentation that I am sure will help me on my photographic journey.
JP’s responses to questions proved to be enlightening.
JP is an entertaining and competent speaker working his way through his presentation in a methodical process making quite clear the points he makes. His responses to questions proved to be enlightening from which our APJA members learned a great deal. We wish him well in his lifelong photographic adventure.
Insightful and inspirational!
JP’s presentation to our club was insightful and inspirational. His story of where he began and his behind the scenes imagery set the stage for a better understanding of what it takes to truly create in-depth stories and photographs of such a culturally rich community.
An informative and thought provoking evening.
An informative and thought provoking evening. Really helpful in stimulating the thought process to help us achieve the sort of ‘narrative’ we want to get across but sometime fall short. The devil is in the details, and we could see that in the way you reframed your images to demonstrate the point and achieve the intention. Thank you so much JP.
Our members enjoyed it and were inspired!
Thanks so much for the knowledge and insight you shared with our club. I know our members enjoyed it and were inspired.
You gave us new ways to look at photography!
Your presentation last night to the Sierra Camera Club was entertaining and educational. You gave us new ways to look at photography which gives us opportunities to broaden what we shoot and create art. You used your striking mages well to illustrate your message. Thank you
fantastic photography, well planned out and well delivered!
I would just like to say how we thoroughly enjoyed last night's talk from you. Apart from the fantastic photography, it was full of tips and things I will definitely keep in mind next time I am out with my camera, and also questioning what am I trying to say and what will the person viewing the image take from it? So thank you for such an interesting evening, well planned out and delivered, and we will forgive you for saying how hot it was over there, as we were all wrapped up in our community hall!
Thank you so much for your excellent presentation!
Thank you so much for your excellent presentation last night to the Duluth Superior Camera Club. There were so many positive comments about your presentation and our club and visitors took away so many helpful tips and new ways to look at the way we might be photographing. Again, thank you!!!!
Blown away by your photos!
Thank you JP. That was an exceptional presentation. Very informative. Blown away by your photos! Really Fabulous. Thank you so much.
Very unique, very innovative, and very professional!
Storytelling for Photographers, by JP Stones, is very unique, very innovative, and very professional. His quest to build a narrative into his still shots puts a whole new slant on what we can do with photography, and really got us thinking through a whole new paradigm of what we can do with our cameras. He shared with us how to work with models, clothing, background, lighting, the use of smoke, where to have the models looking (not at the camera), things we sometimes don't consider. We recommend him to you!
Your approach was fascinating!
Your presentation was exciting and took most of us out of our 'comfort zone'. Your approach was fascinating and your fluency and willingness to explain in a very articulate way and with good humour were very much appreciated.
You even motivated some individuals to purchase fog machines!
Everybody really enjoyed your presentation last month – very informative. You even motivated some individuals to purchase fog machines. I know Denice got hers 2 days later!
Brilliant & very easy to listen to.
Thank you so much for your presentation to our club. It was very interesting & thought provoking. Your delivery kept our attention the whole way through. Some of our speakers are very knowledgeable but aren’t able to articulate in a particularly captivating way. You on the other hand were brilliant & very easy to listen to.
A truly excellent illustration of the topic
Thank you JP for your great presentation. Wonderful work that clearly shows your connection with the people, and a truly excellent illustration of the topic. Lots of food for thought!
So many positive comments from our club!
It was great - so many positive comments from our club. Its talks like yours that make us bless the invention and use of zoom.
Have some more questions? Let’s chat!
ABOUT JP STONES
“I started my Cultural Photography Workshops because I was frustrated at not being able to create the travel photos I wanted to. Candid photos are fine, but I wanted my portraits to show the personality and history of the people I was photographing.”
“A great portrait is a blend of multiple factors: the model, the environment, the lighting, and the composition. But as a tourist you can’t control many of these factors. I wanted to change that, bringing tourists and local communities together, in a harmonious way. The more we learn about someone else’s culture, the more we’re likely to embrace and respect it. As a foreigner in Mexico, that idea means a lot to me.”
FEATURED IN
