For 20 years, Chris Johns traveled the planet to bring back images and stories of our natural world - several of these images—including his image of a male lion, patrolling the Kalahari—would stand the test of time, being named among the 50 best National Geographic photographs of all time.

When Chris was tapped to step up to the role of Editor-in-Chief for National Geographic magazine, he was the first photographer to do so.  Steering the ship from the perspective of a field photographer gave the magazine an edge.  Looking back, Chris helmed the brand at the height of its relevance and reach and in the last few years of autonomy, when it was managed wholly by National Geographic Society. He served as the ninth Editor-in-Chief of the iconic magazine from January 2005 to April 2014, an era marked by 63 nominations resulting in 23 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.

After his role steering the ship, Chris served as Chief Content Officer, guiding the use of photography, cartography, and illustrations across all National Geographic media platforms.  He also moved to Missoula, Montana, to guide a major initiative called “Beyond Yellowstone,” a multi-year project to document the health of America’s first National Park, on the 100th anniversary of the founding of the National Park Service.

A native of Oregon, Chris currently resides with his family in Missoula, Montana, where he works as a filmmaker and teaches journalism at the University of Montana and (virtually) for Oregon State University.

Together with his daughter Louise—a Nat Geo Explorer and documentary photographer who picked up her father’s camera on his last field assignment, when she was just ten years old—Chris has produced a documentary feature film, The Wonder and The Worry, that reflects on the transformation of one of the most influential institutions in publishing and the obligation of whoever is at its helm to balance reporting of the problems we face in our natural environment and the need to celebrate a world worth saving and inspire people to care and to act.  Part memoir, the film is also a lyrical exploration of family, the craft of photography, and the power of journalism to effect change.