Born in Quincy, Florida, Stan J. Johnson gained an interest in photography while in high school after he was given a camera by his father - a novice photographer who purchased the camera in Germany while serving in the U. S. Army. Stan began honing his skills photographing family and friends and further developed his love for photography as a graphic communications student at Florida A&M University and later served in the U. S. Marine Corps as a communications specialist. But, it wasn’t until he captured the images of foster children that were to be used in adoption marketing materials that he started to take photography seriously as a career. This highly visible project began Stan’s quest to use his photography skills to bring positivity to the world, help as many people as possible, and to give meaning to his life.

To widen his range of photographic skills, Stan enrolled in the Academy of Art University in pursuit of a Master of Arts degree which he earned in 2019. The additional knowledge gained and his award placement in the 2019 Academy of Art Spring Showcase has invigorated his mission of being a catalyst for positive social advocacy.

Currently, Stan teaches Visual Communication at Florida A&M University. He has authored two books, “Beautiful, I Am!,” and “Journey’s Light.”