Shankbone’s photography is primarily associated with the Creative Commons and Wikipedia, where he says his images illustrate over 4,000 articles. Referring to his work as a "documentation of human existence," he has collaborated with professional photographers such as Billy Name, whom he cites as a mentor, Christopher Makos, Peter Palladino, and Keith Green. His photographs have appeared in The New York Times, the Village Voice, the Encyclopaedia Britannica, Duke University Press, and LA Weekly, as well as in a number of books, and on blogs and websites.