For quarter-century, photographer has made state look good

Nevada's population has tripled, and the state's chief executive now travels with heavy security, but one thing hasn't changed during Rich Johnston's 25 years as state photographer: Governors are willing to have their pictures taken with just about anyone.

"If someone writes in and wants a picture of their grandchild taken with the governor, it happens," Johnston said. "All the governors I have worked with have enjoyed signing photos for people. They make time for photos."

Democrats Bob Miller would have photographs taken with people almost every day of the week, and Richard Bryan dedicated time for photographs but didn't have a set number of days.

Republican Kenny Guinn generally sets aside a full day once a month for photographs.

For all three governors, Johnston has been there to document the meetings and make sure the people photographed received at least one free copy.

"My job is to make the governor and the state look good," Johnston said. "I look forward to coming to work every day. I love the job."

One day he might be working for the attorney general, while on another day it might be the state treasurer. Or he might be flying around the state in the Transportation Department's plane to record progress on construction projects, such as the Hoover Dam bypass bridge. About 60 percent of his work is with the Transportation Department.

At Guinn's insistence, thousands of Johnston's photos in recent months have been added to the state Web site, where they can be downloaded for free. There are pictures of trick-or-treaters at the governor's mansion, floats in the Nevada Day parade, the lighting of the state Christmas tree, and just about every major bill signing, groundbreaking and ribbon-cutting.

Since switching to digital photography a year and a half ago, Johnston estimates he has taken 60,000 photographs for the governor, state agencies and the Nevada Department of Transportation.

Most of the photographs are not of people whose names are in the news, but of average Nevadans.

And many are what photographers call "grip and grin" pictures, the kind in which people smile and shake hands as they stare at the camera. Professional photographers tend to frown on such photos, but Johnston said people simply want a keepsake of their time with the governor.

His advice to people who snap a "grip and grin" is to let the people involved create the picture. Let them decide who stands closest to the key subject and who should stand in front and in the rear.

Since his boyhood in the Bay Area, Johnston has loved taking photographs.

His grandparents and parents had cameras and passed on their love of photography to him.

"I have pictures around I took with a box camera when I was in kindergarten," he said. "I just enjoyed the idea of what you could capture. It was magical. There is nothing like the first time you see an image coming out in the darkroom."

Johnston studied journalism and photojournalism at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks.

After graduating, he moved to Reno and found a job as a photographer for University of Nevada, Reno publications.

Then, 18 years ago, he became senior photographer for the Transportation Department, a job that makes him the photographer for Nevada's governors and state agencies.

In his first years as state photographer, state government was so unconcerned about threats that Johnston used to drive Bryan home after shooting pictures at events the governor attended.

But the job wasn't without danger. Johnston still walks with a limp because of an incident with Bryan.

At a groundbreaking ceremony for a new road in Reno, Bryan drove a tractor with Johnston standing behind him, frantically trying to take pictures.

"I fell off the tractor," Johnston said. "It was the strangest (State Industrial Insurance System) claim you ever saw:

'What was the nature of the accident?'

'Fell off tractor driven by the governor.'

'Was the operator experienced?'

'No.' "

Johnston said Bryan realized some people were nervous about having their pictures taken with the governor, so he would take off his coat and begin winding the grandfather clock in his office as his guests entered.

According to Johnston, Bryan then would say, "I used to do this for my grandmother," hoping to put his guests at ease.

Johnston said he also enjoyed working with Miller, who acted like just any other guy.

On the day when Miller's daughter Megan was born, a Reno television station assigned a new camera operator to go to Carson-Tahoe Hospital.

"The governor was in track clothes when the camera crew arrives," Johnston said. "The guy (camera operator) asks us to carry some of his equipment. So the governor grabs some lights and equipment and I carry some, too.

"The guy then says, 'This is the first time I will have met the governor. Do you think we are going to have trouble getting through security?' I looked over to the governor and said, 'Which one of us is going to tell him?' "

Recalling an experience with Guinn also made Johnston chuckle.

The Nevada Appeal sent a photographer to take a picture of the governor and his wife, Dema, handing out candy to children on Halloween.

"The (newspaper) ran a picture with the caption: 'Governor Guinn and wife, Dema, handing out candy.'

"It actually was Gov. Guinn and my wife handing out candy," Johnston said.

After all his years working as a photographer, Johnston still lugs around a camera in his spare time and snaps scenic photos.

"I have been fortunate to travel around the state at different times of the year," he said. "There always is something beautiful - the Ruby Marshes, Red Rock Canyon, the Virgin Valley, Las Vegas at night. There is no spot t