Photojournalist Lynn Johnson is known for her intense, sensitive work. Dividing her time between assignments for National Geographic and Sports Illustrated, where she is a Staff Photographer, Johnson has traveled from Siberia to Zambia and photographed celebrities including Tiger Woods, Mikhail Barishnikov, Mister Rogers and the entire Supreme Court.

In her physically demanding shooting style, Johnson uses the technical skills acquired during a decade as an EMT in hazardous rescue work. With her Leicas, she has climbed the radio antenna atop Chicago's Hancock Tower and dangled from helicopters in Antarctica. Yet her favorite assignments have been emotionally demanding stories about ordinary people; a family struggling with AIDS (Life), the death of an African-American coach in Amish country (Sports Illustrated), native Hawaiians who protect traditional ways (NG), the impact of avian flu unleashed on Asia(NG).

Her vision is subtle. She invites the viewer to find the meaning in the frame. Her shooting style is equally low key. At 5'1" she has the ability to become virtually invisible, allowing her subjects to reveal themselves to the camera. The photographs she strives for are compassionate. After 30 years of practicing photography, she sees her personal work moving from that of an observer to advocate.

As a Knight Fellow in the School of Visual Communications at Ohio University, Johnson recently completed a rigorous year-long pro-gram that included her masters thesis, a forthcoming book about the impact of hate crimes on American society, Hate Kills. "I hope this book will promote dialogue and help to change our national attitude from intolerance to understanding," she says. Perhaps the most rewarding aspect of her fellowship, was the teaching component that allowed her to share her passion and commitment with other students in the Visual Studies Program, helping to develop the talents and ethics of a new generation of photographers.

Johnson herself earned a B.A. in Photographic Illustration and Photojournalism at the Rochester Institute of Technology in 1975. After graduating, she was a Staff Photographer at The Pittsburgh Press for seven years before beginning her freelance career as a contract photographer for Black Star. She is currently a member of Aurora Picture Agency.