Lori Johnson is an art instructor and freelance photographer.
HOW LONG HAS SHE BEEN AN ARTIST?
“Professionally, five years. Altogether it’s been 10-12.”
HOW HARD IS IT TO MAKE A LIVING OFF PHOTOGRAPHY?
“If you do commercial photography — weddings, portraits, advertising — it’s slow to get started, but easy. If you have the knowledge, you can do well commercially. From the fine art perspective, it’s a lot harder.”
HOW DID SHE MAKE INROADS INTO FINE ART?
“It’s pounding the pavement, calling galleries, showing your work. In the beginning, you have to come up with ideas and propose them to gallery owners. I happened to call Art After Dark, hoping to get involved at the right time [to get in their 2003 show]. Also, there’s a lot of juried contests. I have submitted work that way.”
HER PAYING-THE-BILlS JOBS?
Johnson is an adjunct professor with Jacksonville University and Florida Community College at Jacksonville. She’s also an assistant manager/photographer for Favorite Studios, Inc.
DOES SHE PREFER A SPECIFIC TYPE OF PHOTOGRAPHY?
“Black and white is more elegant. With black and white, you look at the whole image. With color images, you look at the colors first, not necessarily the subject.”
LATEST ENDEAVOR
The FCCJ Summer Arts Institute, an intensive four-week study in several different art disciplines for ages 13-17, is Johnson’s current focus.
WHERE ELSE HAS SHE WORKED?
Johnson taught photography at The Bolles School, interned at ESPN’s magazine and did freelance work for the Florida State Department. In her first career, she was employed by Humana, Barnett Bank and HomeSide Lending. “While I was going to school for photography in Savannah, I worked as a bookkeeper, too.”
HOMETOWN
Jacksonville.
WHERE DID SHE GO TO SCHOOL?
Johnson has a master’s degree in fine arts from the Savannah College of Art and Design. She earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of North Florida.
WHY CHANGE CAREERS?
“Originally, I had read in a magazine how to develop film at home. I tried it and I loved it. When I finished my degree, I took some photography classes for fun. I did not want to sit at a desk all day anymore. Knowing I just couldn’t quit and go into photography because I didn’t have enough knowledge or experience, I went back to school.”
FAN CLUB
Groups that collect or commission Johnson’s creations include the Palm Valley Golf Course, James Rekowski of Savannah and, locally, Sigrid Savage.
WHERE HAS SHE SHOWN HER WORK?
Last year, Johnson took part in a juried exhibition at the Phoenix Gallery in New York City. In 2001, her work hung on the walls of the Pinnacle Gallery and the Oglethorpe Row Gallery in Savannah. Earlier, she had exhibitions in Idaho and Cincinnati during the Graduate Pushpin Show. Locally, Johnson has shown her work at Art After Dark, Reddi-Arts Gallery 1037 and the art gallery on FCCJ’s North Campus. She will be part of FCCJ’s faculty show in October.
WHAT DRAWS HER TO PHOTOGRAPHY?
“I like the search, being outside looking for things [subjects]. I guess it’s the idea that you can find beauty everywhere. You don’t have to go to a national park. Look around and observe things. My pictures are taken probably within 30 miles of home. There was one picture in particular in Savannah. Real early on a Saturday morning it was foggy on the bridge. As soon as I came around the corner, I knew that would be a fabulous picture. It’s finding something like that, knowing what it’s going to be and then working in the dark room.”
WHAT IS MOST CHALLENGING ABOUT THIS PROCESS?
“Finding time to go out and take pictures. Teaching takes a lot of time. Once I get a picture, it’s finding time to work in the dark room.”
WHO HAS INFLUENCED HER WORK?
“Ansel Adams, Joel Meyerowitz, Richard Mysrach, the early landscape photographers. My work is nature with a hint of the man-made. I don’t think you can escape it today. That influence [man’s intrusion] can still be beautiful.”
SHUTTER BUG
To support her passion for the camera, Johnson joined the Polaroid Professional Association and the Society of Photographic Educators.
IN HER SPARE TIME
She enjoys reading suspense novels, relaxing on the beach, doing arts and crafts or tuning into “CSI.” Johnson resides on the Southside.
— by Monica Chamness