Creative Heritage
From my grandfather’s civil rights photography in 1947 Durham to today’s brand storytelling in Atlanta – the Stanback Studio legacy continues
The Original Stanback Studio
My grandfather, Charles Rudolph Stanback, opens Stanback Studios in Durham, NC, right across from North Carolina College. A Tuskegee graduate and photographer, he used his camera not just for family portraits, but as a tool for social justice – documenting segregated schools and racial inequalities alongside journalist Louis Austin.
My Creative Evolution
The creative entrepreneur bug bit me early. In college, I made extra dollars designing party flyers. From there, an unpredictable ride through the design world: websites in the dial-up days, logos in the flip phone era, even selling custom artist merch as a painter in the 2010s.
The Photography Awakening
The world hits pause. Suddenly, I have all this extra time. Photo walks became my escape, and I fell in love with urban landscape photography. Then it got crazy – 6 group exhibitions, a self-published photo book, limited-edition prints – all within 18 months!
Stanback Studio Reborn
After my father passed in late 2021, I reflected deeply on our family’s history. I was reminded of my grandparents’ legacy, and I decided that’s exactly what I wanted to do – continue the Stanback Studio tradition of visual storytelling, now focused on helping brands tell their stories.
A Legacy of Visual Justice
My grandfather wasn’t just a photographer – he was a photojournalist using his lens to fight injustice. Working with Carolina Times editor Louis Austin, he documented segregated schools in Caswell County, North Carolina, exposing “a cesspool of crime” perpetrated against black taxpayers and their children.
“Democracy on Trial in the Nation’s Capital” – The headline that ran alongside my grandfather’s civil rights photography during the Brown v. Board case proceedings.
From 1947 through the 1960s, Stanback Studios was more than a business – it was a pillar of Durham’s Black community, filling decades of family photo albums while documenting history in the making.
I think of it as a family affair, in a way. There’s such a wonderful legacy to try to uphold, and continuing that tradition of using visual storytelling to make a difference – now helping individuals, entrepreneurs, and small brands tell their stories through captivating photos and videos.
With over 20 years of experience in consulting, marketing, and user experience, I don’t just take pretty pictures (although I do love that part!), I focus on imagery that resonates with audiences. It’s all about storytelling – just like my grandfather understood when he pointed his camera at injustice and said “this needs to be seen.”
Collaboration is core to how I operate Stanback Studio. We work with clients to craft a visual identity that’s as unique as they are. My goal is to create steady growth and ultimately take on more large, multi-faceted projects where we provide end-to-end services for photo, video, and creative direction.