Raised among the springs, swamps, and rivers of North Central Florida, Stone trained as a biologist before pursuing a career combining scientific curiosity with visual storytelling. His work challenges conventional perceptions of wetlands, revealing them as some of North America’s most biologically rich and ecologically important ecosystems.
His first book, Everglades: America’s Wetland, documents five years spent exploring the greater Everglades watershed. In 2026, Stone released two new books: American Amazon: Ancient Forests and Living Waters of the Wild Southeastern U.S., a photographic exploration of the Southeast’s extraordinary biodiversity, and Cypress: The Last Old-Growth Swamps, a decade-long project documenting the region’s surviving ancient bald cypress forests. He also served as a producer and cinematographer on American Amazon, the companion IMAX film and PBS NATURE series produced with Grizzly Creek Films.
Stone is a contributing photographer for National Geographic magazine and a Senior Fellow of the International League of Conservation Photographers. His work has received international recognition, including honors from Wildlife Photographer of the Year, and has contributed to scientific discoveries and conservation campaigns.
Based in South Carolina, Stone serves as Executive Director of Naturaland Trust, where he has helped raise more than $50 million for land conservation and protect tens of thousands of acres of forests, rivers, and wildlife habitat.
Across his photography, films, books, and conservation work, Stone seeks to forge deeper connections between people and wild places, believing that an appreciation for the natural world is often the first step toward protecting it.
