John was on contract with Time magazine for over ten years, producing eighteen covers. Over the last decade, he has produced over fourteen stories since 2004, working for National Geographic Magazine.

Stanmeyer is a writer, lecturer, educator and an avid field recordist with more than twenty years of experience recording traditional music, historical events and soundscapes in over one hundred countries. He has received numerous awards in photography, including Magazine Photographer of the Year by Pictures of the Year International, and the Robert Capa Gold Medal Award. In 2013, he received the prestigious World Press Photo of the Year Award. After more than twelve years living in Asia, Stanmeyer returned to the United States in 2008. When not on the road, he is with his family and two dogs spending their time on their farm with many fireflies in the Berkshires of western Massachusetts.

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