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Hello My Name Is J. Ryan Stanley. I’m A Documentary, Street And Art Photographer.

FEATURED SERIES

Small Town Rural

In 2021, I met Leana on a dating site. She lived 280 miles away, and as I made that commute to see her, I became interested in the communities along the way. It started with me admiring buildings and landscapes, but soon I started to explore the culture and people of these places.
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Cairo Illinois

Remnants

It started in 2021 as I was rebuilding my life after a divorce. I met a wonderful woman, leana, through an online dating site. Leana had grown up in a rural town in northern missouri, and was now living in another small town off highway I-44. It was a 280 mile commute to see the woman who would become my future wife; along the way, I began to look around at the communities along that route. At first, it was because a single building or landscape caught my eye. But the more I shot, the more I began to dive more deeply into the people and the culture of these places.
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I set out to photograph Circus Flora from start to finish, aiming to capture its unique essence. Meet fantastic performers, crew members, and volunteers who created a sense of community that felt like family. Through these images, he hopes to showcase both the circus’s magical moments and the behind-the-scenes work that brings them to life.

www.behindthebigtop.com

What they are saying:

“Ryan Stanley's images are somehow both keenly–and gently–observant without feeling intrusive. His skill in street photography ranges from striking, unposed portraits to naturally occurring tableaus of everyday objects and people. For me, some of Stanley's most memorable images are those that use layers of reflection to build depth and encourage curiosity. His powerful images also serve as an invaluable record of the protests.”
Kara Vaninger
Kara Vaningertelevision producer/writer for Nine PBS
“Ryan Stanley's photo series ‘Small Town Rural’ has been a joy to have on the walls of the Lucas Schoolhouse and has sparked conversation and shown a glimpse of rural life that is often forgotten in the city. We are looking forward to seeing what Ryan does next.”
Andi Moravec
Andi Moraveccommunication director at Lucas Schoolhouse,
“Ryan's work looks to document the photographer's own reaction to the subjects as much as the subjects themselves. This is because the artist is searching and investigating with his camera at least as much as he is telling with his pictures. This is an important distinction from work that simply wishes to document a person, place or event; The trajectory of Ryan's photography changes according to what he learns about and from his subjects versus crossing things off a prescribed checklist, and this rewards the photographer as much as the viewer.”
Jason Gray
Jason GrayJason Gray–image rights manager at St. Louis Art Museum
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