Lynn Jonson

Lynn Johnson was born in 1953 and is an American photographer known for her contributions to National Geographic, Sports Illustrated, and Life, among others. Johnson is known for photographing vanishing languages and challenges to the human condition, with a focus on Africa and Asia.

Lynn Johnson photographs the human condition. A regular contributor to National Geographic, Johnson is known for finding beauty and meaning in elusive, difficult subjects—threatened languages, zoonotic disease, rape in the military ranks, autism spectrum and the healing power of cannabis. She collaborates with the people she portrays to honor their visions as well as her own. At National Geographic Photo Camps, she helps at-risk youth around the world find their creative voices. At Syracuse University’s Newhouse School, she developed a mentoring program that challenges master’s students to push past their comfort levels in pursuit of the story’s truth, frame by frame. She is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Robert F. Kennedy Award, and was recently named a Pulitzer finalist on two occasions.