Known for her intense and sensitive work, Lynn Johnson has been capturing the subtleties of the human condition for 35 years. A regular contributor to publications such as National Geographic, Johnson brings a fresh perspective to fearsome issues—the scourge of landmines, the erosion of threatened languages, rape in the US military ranks, the daily challenge for African women of carrying water or the dangers of global zoonotic disease. Her compassionate photographs honor everyday people and their stories.
A teacher as well as a photographer, Johnson hopes to promote dialogue and ameliorate prejudice. Her Master’s thesis as a Knight Fellow at Ohio University, Hate Kills, chronicles the toll of hate crimes on American society. She works with National Geographic Photo Camps, using her medium to help at-risk youth around the world share their own voices. At Syracuse University’s Newhouse School of Public Communications, Johnson is developing a mentoring program for graduate students in the Multimedia, Photography and Design department.
Her work has been honored by World Press Photo, the Open Society Institute and the RFK Center for Justice and Human Rights, among others, as well as by her fellow photographers at The Photo Society.