Johnny Sartin spent his career bringing countless lives into focus, content to remain outside the frame of his camera lens.
Johnny Sartin, renowned WXYZ-TV photographer, dies following cancer battle
The revered WXYZ-TV photojournalist, whose shy demeanor belied his enormous accomplishments, died Saturday following a battle with cancer. He was 65.Born Johnny Nelson Sartin Jr., he spent 30 years at 7 News Detroit following stops in Mississippi, Oklahoma City and WDIV-TV in Detroit.He traveled the country early on in his career, covering mudslides and wild weather with WXYZ meteorologist Jerry Hodak in the 1990s, and spent weeks documenting the devastation of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 in reporters Ray Sayah and Bill Spencer.But most of Sartin’s career would be spent chasing storms of a different kind.As a longtime photographer in the station’s investigative unit, Sartin’s fingerprints can be found on some of the most important investigations the station ever produced.His work helped reveal corruption far and wide, from the dirty deals of the Kwame Kilpatrick administration to criminal conduct inside Wayne County government.Throughout his career, he worked closely with investigative reporters Shellee Smith, Steve Wilson, Ray Sayah, Heather Catallo, Scott Lewis and Ross Jones.
“Johnny was the best investigative partner you could ask for,” said Catallo, who worked with Sartin for nearly all of her career.
“He gave his all to every story and had my back during countless tense interviews and difficult undercover assignments. But more than being the best videographer, he was one of my best friends, honorary uncle to my daughter—he was family.”…