Photography Therapy : with Lynn Johnson

I'm so lucky to have photographer Lynn Johnson in my life.  Thursday I drove to her home in Pittsburgh, PA; we had a great visit and she gave me some really great feedback on my current and upcoming projects.

It was like having an intense massage on my storytelling muscles.

Though uncomfortable at times, she reaches deep inside me to help me answer the questions that will remove the blocks I have between the way I currently work and my goal of being a better Photojournalist.  I just want to properly honor my subjects by making outstanding photographs of them.

Called, driven, and dedicated to her own projects and assignments, Lynn's time and interest in my work is an honor.  I left with some instructions, a full heart, and a whole lot to chew on.

Here's to aspiring to a great photo every time I push the button!

How can I describe this amazing woman?  I'll let her bio do it for me, and make sure you check out her WEB SITE :

"Photojournalist Lynn Johnson is known for her intense, sensitive work.
 
Dividing her time between assignments for National Geographic and various foundations, Johnson has traveled from Siberia to Zambia and photographed celebrities including Tiger Woods, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Mister Rogers and the entire Supreme Court. 

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 zoonotic diseases around the world (NG).

Her vision is subtle. She invites the viewer to find the meaning in the frame. Her shooting style is equally low key 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."