Featured on Adobe, Getty Images, EyeEm and VSCO, Stoney Rodewald has quickly become a local talent to follow. He is well know for his artistic eye and ability to turn anything into art.

Stoney Rodewald grew up in Salem, AL, where he explored his talent in photography by taking photos of wildlife and still life. He started as early as the sixth grade taking photos with a Sony Cybershot, anything and everything caught his eye. His view of the world is, “How can I turn my subject into to be a piece of art?”, at 29 years of age Stoney is still doing photography.

Stoney is currently shooting with a Canon Rebel T5i and his iPhone 12 Pro Max. His go to camera is a Canon but, has said he is open to exploring more tech to better his photography and explore his creativity. His go-to lens is an 18-55mm lens. He feels this is a greats lens to start out with because it is so versatile. With his iPhone 12 Pro Max he marvels at how great technology has become that it’s come so far, he can have a camera the same quality as his Canon and fits in his pocket. He commented “I don’t always have my Canon, but I do always have my phone. I never miss an opportunity to capture a moment or memory.”

His mindset for each photo when viewing his subject’s, is to do the best he can to make them stand out. He views the world as art and asks himself “What can I do to turn a photograph into a piece of art?” Stoney further explains, “A photograph can say so much, you’re freezing time in that special moment so we can have those lasting memories to look back on.” This brings us to his time in Japan, he had the opportunity to move to Japan 2018 and he lived there for two years, making memories. Stoney explains that the adjustment process was difficult, “It was my first time being away from home and my first time in an different country 7000 miles from home. It was terrifying and exciting which made for a great adventure.” He continues “My time in Japan was an amazing opportunity for my photography to grow and it allowed me a unique chance to explore another country and to get creative. It was the best choice I made, to join my husband in Japan.”

While living in Japan he had the opportunity to become an Adobe Stock, Getty Images, EyeEm contributor and did a collaboration with VSCO and Adobe. This was his first time being noticed and it lit a fire driving him to want to take more and more photos of literally anything and everything. “Like I said earlier moving to another country opened doors I never thought I would go through, let along be offered a chance to open.” For those who are just finding a foot in a hobby or career Stoney stresses “Never give up, keep pushing, I started in the sixth grade and never gave up, look where I’ve gotten to.”

Speaking of where he is now, Stoney is currently living in San Diego, California. The adjustment this time was very hard since COVID placed the whole state, like many others, into quarantine. He dreamed of living in California as a kid and always wanted to visit. So, when he finally got the opportunity to do it and ended up stuck in quarantine it definitely caused a slight impact on his work. However, he says being stuck inside has truly sparked his creativity even more. It has caused him to think outside the box and explore different avenues on what can he do to keep his creativity flowing.

The Story he likes to tell through his photographs is “A photograph isn’t just an image it’s a Life and you’re capturing that Life in a split second to share for years and years to come. It’s easy to click a button and take an everyday image. It’s hard to click that same button and tell a life story through a single image in a split second.” What inspired him as an artist is life, stepping outside his comfort zone and moving to Japan really inspired him to enjoy the little moments that you may never get to live again. He looks at life as an adventure and since he might not get to live it again, he captures everything in that moment to re-live through an image.

Stoney says an artist he would like to meet from the past is Irving Penn, being one of the greatest Vogue photographers for sixty years is a huge inspiration for him. Stoney is currently going to school to become a Fashion photographer he feels Irving’s work pushes him to be that photographer that stands out for sixty years or longer.

The advice he would give is “You’ve heard this over and over, but never give up. The more you practice the better you will get. I’ve been doing photography since sixth grade and I’m just now being noticed. It’s because I never gave up and kept pushing and pushing. Also, post your best work to different social media platforms, you will be surprised who might be watching you. So really think about what you’re putting out there.” Stoney offers his help to anyone who has a question or would like some advice on how to get started. You can find him on Instagram at Stoney_ph or his website stoneyphotography.myportfolio.com.