Carter Johnston is an editorial and fine art photographer based in Austin, Texas. Originally from Houston, he is an alumnus of the Houston School of Visual and Performing Arts. His passion for photography began early—composing images with his grandfather at age five, scanning film by 12, and printing in the Glassell School of Art’s darkroom by 14.
Carter earned his BFA in Photographic Arts and Sciences from the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). He continued his education in San Francisco, where he worked as a darkroom and digital printer, producing master and exhibition prints for internationally acclaimed photographers and institutions. His collaborators have included Mike Brodie, Todd Hido, Lucas Foglia, Janet Delaney, Michael Jang, Reagan Louie, Paul Schiek, Lukas Felzmann, Matt Lipps, Erica Deeman, SFMOMA, and Pier 24.
Carter’s work has been exhibited and published internationally. His editorial clients include The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, NBC News, The Guardian, Monocle, Der Spiegel, Die Zeit, The Globe and Mail, The Free Press, Texas Monthly, and The Austin Chronicle. During the pandemic, he hosted Open Curtain, a podcast focused on the realities of making a living as a photographer.