Story Behind the Place is a photography and storytelling series about how places became what they are today.
The photographs show how the place looks today while the stories go underneath—to the people, decisions, history, science, engineering and natural forces that shaped it.
Behind the stories
I'm John Menzies, a photographer and storyteller based in Georgia.
I started Story Behind The Place because I kept finding that the places I photographed became more interesting once I understood why they were there. One question led to another, and eventually the research became as important to me as making the photographs.
SBTP brings together things I've always been fascinated by: photography, history, science, engineering—and understanding the forces that leave something behind.
How the stories are made
Each story begins with a place—and a question.
I photograph the place as it looks today, then research the people, decisions, history, science, engineering, and natural forces that shaped it. Key details are checked against primary sources and trusted historical records wherever possible.
The research becomes a narrative paired with original photography, so you can understand the story and see the place for yourself.
A new Story Behind The Place is published each month, with shorter discoveries appearing along the way.