Prior to joining the magazine, she was the director of photography at The New Yorker where her work was widely recognized, earning awards from the American Society of Magazine Editors; Awards of Excellence from the Society of Publication Designers; and a Peabody, in collaboration with Human Rights Watch and the photographer Platon.
Johnson received a BA in American Literature from Barnard College, and completed MA coursework in American Studies at Columbia University. She serves on the boards of the Alexia Foundation and the W. Eugene Smith Fund.
