141. The Wonder and the Worry: The Power of Storytelling in Times of Environmental Crisis with Chris and Louise Johns

There is wonder in storytelling, whether through words, film, photography, music, dance, or painting. Any form of art requires a deep wonder and admiration for the subject or muse. Growing up in a world plagued by a climate crisis, though, there is immense worry.

So, how can we grapple with the wonder and the worry within our world of telling stories?

For episode 141 of the Outdoor Minimalist podcast, I had the pleasure of sitting down and learning from Chris Johns and his daughter Louise Johns to hear about how they balance both the wonder in photojournalism and the worry not only within the natural world but also in the world of media.

The first photographer to be named Editor-in-Chief for National Geographic magazine, Chris Johns served as the ninth Editor-in-Chief of the iconic magazine from January 2005 to April 2014, an era marked by 23 prestigious National Magazine Awards from the American Society of Magazine Editors.

In 2008, Chris was named Magazine Editor of the Year, and in 2011, National Geographic was named Magazine of the Year. Following his role as Editor-in-Chief, Chris led the organization as Chief Content Officer and directed a major initiative called “Beyond Yellowstone,” a multi-year project documenting the health of America’s first National Park. A native of Oregon, Chris resides with his family in Missoula, Montana, where he teaches journalism at the University of Montana and Oregon State University.

Louise Johns is an independent photojournalist and documentary photographer with a master’s degree in Environmental Science Journalism from the University of Montana. A National Geographic Explorer, her work examines the relationships between people, places, and animals, focusing on rural communities in the American West. She began documenting the landscapes and people of the American West while working as a horse wrangler in Montana’s Centennial Valley.

Her work has appeared in various outlets, including The New York Times, National Geographic, The Washington Post, GEO, The Nature Conservancy, Patagonia, and High Country News. Her work has been exhibited regionally and internationally and has won international awards. In addition to her photojournalism work, she teaches photography. She is a fellow with the International League of Conservation Photographers, a member of Women Photograph, and has a TEDx talk called Seeing With Heart. She lives in Montana, where she pursues stories that help her understand the place she calls home.

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The Wonder and the Worry Documentary

Trailer: https://youtu.be/oPKxr5HNvGQ?si=mmeQ1JSLMWlF5HWA

Films at OSU: https://films.oregonstate.edu/worry-wonder

Chris Johns

Photo Society: https://thephotosociety.org/member/chris-johns/

Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Johns_(photographer)

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-johns-36151532/

Louise Johns

Website: https://www.louisejohnsphoto.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/e.l.johns/?hl=en

NatGeo Explorer: https://explorers.nationalgeographic.org/directory/louise-johns