Sam is the best. His talent for composing a picture and waiting, is unparalleled. He doesn’t care about buttons or photoshop. He doesn’t shoot RAW, the jpeg is enough. He uses program mode on the camera, it’s all about what’s in the frame and the light, the essentials.

A true master not hung up on high tech, but rather patience, composition and capturing part of life. I admire him and his work.

After reading the comments below, that make fun of the way Sam speaks (slow and deliberate) I realize I actually like his delivery, because it's well thought out as a good story should be. Great speakers take a little bit of time to tell a good story. Most photographers, probably the one's below who will never work for National Geographic, want everything served up like fast food, not me. I prefer to linger over a gourmet meal, a great photo, and interesting people...I prefer to sit and discuss the moment, extending it if possible. Really good things, like Sam Abell should be savored not munched up and spit out. So, sit down, chill out, take it in, and learn from one of the greats.

'This photograph has outlived the people in it'' - I got goosebumps.

It's clear that many folks who comment here don't know the first thing about photography. Dull delivery?!?! Measured and thoughtful. Not one "unn", ummm or "like". It's not a music video with quick cuts and flashy "stuff" - it's a master artist trying to explain his process and his art. A lack of pretension. Sorry you don't like or understand.

@bx7785

5 жыл бұрын

75% of his "master" pictures are average at best but ok sure lol

@wyvern938

2 жыл бұрын

@@bx7785 why don't you try to do better lol and we'll see if you can get hired at national geographic

Sam Abell is an incredible photographer, thanks for the presentation.

captivating,amazing, :step back:pnt of view..perfection!

The photos themselves are works of art, but I am more moved by Abell's generosity in sharing with us his creative process. What his father transmitted to him, he gives to us.

He created some marvelous pictures that I would love to see again and again. A true artist.

I have had the honor of meeting Sam Abell. He is a phenomenal speaker and photographer. His photographs and his passion are so inspiring. I really hope to have the opportunity to meet with him again.

I grew up reading National Geographic and remember so many of these photos. A true Master Photographer.

Wonderful video. It's a tribute to the power of parents as much as a view into the thinking of a professional photographer. Well worth my time watching it.

This is incredibly inspiring! This means so much more to my photography than any gear video I could watch.

Really enjoyed listening and learning from this great. Truly worth a listen. It may have very well changed my entire view of photography tbh

Sam Abell - The best os photographers.

Amazing, Thanks.

Wow. Incredibly beautiful and insightful.

Inspiring video. I am drawn to Sam's style of and approach to photography. I bought the book while watching the video.

@Kranhu

8 жыл бұрын

Me, too!

I would like to encourage Nat-Geo to do post more videos like this on KZread... really informative and heart warming i just loved it!!!... Thanks Much Nat Geo you guys just made my day.

I had the joy of seeing Sam Abell's presentation. Monotone? Maybe. Riveting, interesting, relevant - absolutely.

Yes, this is what distinguishes an artist from a normal person: the art authentically is your life

this is incredibly inspiring

I love these, I aspire to be as good a photographer.

Just Awesome..................Congrats

Just a fantastic video, really inspiring and crammed full of photographic goodness!

Nice piece!!!

i met Sam Able in 1985, at a very inspiring National Geographic Workshop in Steamboat Springs Colorado.

The pears on the windowsill may not be the most exciting photographs out there in terms of content, but they're elegantly composed and there's value in that alone. People go to extreme lengths these days to make every photo grab your attention. Sometimes it's nice to consider the less obtrusive virtues of a more subtle work.

A fantastic watch, thanks so much for taking the time to make and share this.

Totally agree, describing your own photos as 'poetry' when it's only vaguely interesting to anyone else is not becoming. Pretentious people like this spoil such wonderful creative arts for everyone. Attempting to alienate other with their super human ability to micro compose and not even mention a single time the element of luck makes me call bullshit on this

finally a really long video that is allowed to be viewed in my country... and what's good is that I'm a photographer too (hobbyist)

Very to the point speaker beautiful document

"Above all, compose and wait. Wait for the train to pull out of the station."

@nickfanzo

3 жыл бұрын

Rules to live by

i dont know why there are some dislike. this video is great any body who likes to take picture would like to click for national geography!!

I really enjoyed this. And his deadpan humor really cracked me up.

HIs delivery is excellent, because he doesn't begin each sentence with, "So" and sprinkle the phony interrogative, "right" throughout, but never waits for the acknowledgment, right?

Amazing

Some grate composing skills he has. Looks that I got a lot to learn...

Beautiful work

Awesome... what an inspiration! How does anyone vote "thumbs down" on this? That makes no sense, especially from people who will only ever have their pictures featured on their mothers' refrigerators. If that.

@herbprattle5054

4 жыл бұрын

LOL! in 2020 🤣

I love this I enjoyed the whole video. It has inspired me to shoot more.

Sam Abell is my favorite photographer!

wonderful!! i love documenting photographs. :) as soon as the video end and when the audience claps, here it started rain with the same sound of the claps.. seems like nature loves u. one day i need to contribute something for National Geographic as a photographer.

@annandahappy

9 жыл бұрын

Jerrin Mathew Philip Very nice presentation! You can also search for "Elumpa fantastic photo alchemist" to understand more regarding "photograph of a photograph".

last thirty seconds is the best advice ever

I found it so fitting that upon finishing this (beautiful) video it turned out to be my 100th favorite. If only everyone I knew had the time to watch this. :-)

Excellent!

🙌🏼

@NationalGeoLive AWESOME!!!!

Thank you Sir for this great video, I learned a lot from it. I'm leaving all those "pixel peeper" forum. Heart and sould are not numbers.

I wish that yellow rectangle could be bigger... it is wayyyyy tooo smalll...

We have the same style in photography. :-) I don't like photos with no story or definition. I like my photos with meaning.

They laughed because they saw the full picture right away (the bird looking at a bird like itself in the album) :)

I learn a lot from you, thank you! you inspired me to go out and take a shot...

wowwwwwwwwwwwwww loving this!

Inspiring content, and a great discussion about the craft of photography. But... his delivery did nothing to convey the passion he clearly has for his work. This is the worst kind of lecture, but still worth watching because of his genius.

Really. Cool. Story.

I fancy the way he looks on things; just might buy that book!

this was inspiring

Awesome. this video inspired me :)

Really good

I want to be like him when i'm older :)

National Geographic, Mutual Of Omaha's Wild Kingdom...PBS..Random House encyclopedia. Things of facination we grew up with.

Never learn enough from a master.

@00hmath00 Glad you enjoy these. We are posting a new video from National Geographic Live every week.

WOW

I have learned more about what it means to take a photograph in those short fourty minutes than I have in all of my past, yet still limited, experiance.

He composed the monologue with the same deliberate care and poetry of his photography. This is not Instagram.

I'd love to meet this guy. does he still do lectures?

Pour moi,a photographie est une passion qui vous dévore, comme une déformation votre main est toujours armée de son appareil, c'est mon cas, et je vois que vous vous êtes dans la même situation, merci de nous faire partager vos photos, vos coups de coeurs

yay first long video!

Nice video. I'm planning on working with National Geographic as a Wildlife Photographer. Hope to see you there.

I’d like to do stuff like this

hace falta la traducción al español! por favor!!!

I do appreciate and great thanks for your valuable lecture that has supported me in changes my behavior at my aging time. As a political refugee, boat person who left VN after 4/1975 all photos above make my heart broken. Thank God for Blessing me landing on USA as a homeless refugee for first few months. My Warm Best Regards to You with Great, Grateful Thanks & Appreciation. Duc Viet Nguyen.

was suprised thought his photos would be stronger still maybe its an old fashioned style! still not my cup of tea nice guy! good vid dough

It's an outstanding presentation, but the use of the Ken Burns effect on the photos is very distracting making it difficult to see the composition as described by Abell. I wish they would simply show the photos in their entirety.

The frame is flipped at 1:43. Makes him look like he is holding the camera like an amateur. This really does need to be in HD.

Compose... nice

does it stop at 40:37 with anyone else? great upload anyway! it's a shame so many childish remarks take place here tho'..

Well lots of dirt in Newfoundland haha. nice photographs

His voice is soooo boring! But what he has to say is simply fascinating

i wanted to be that Doha architect so I would be in his photography class so I could say "I want to be a photographer".

I feel like he just described me from an early age.

I almost got depression out of this video...

@NationalGeoLive Maybe in the next decade or so i'll be on one of them :)

@IMCOOL18 I love you too.

Why do I feel like I'm a 10 year old in Church!

it'd be better without the yellow square blocking the compositions! i'd love to see 1:47 without it

Nobody: This Guy: Poorly lit and exposed photos gunna make me rich

He didn't choose the photography thug life, it chose him..

Old school

It is a bit frustrated to not see the photos entirely.

"It was a portrait of grass"... If not for the wonderful photographs, watching grass grow would have been more enjoyable. And what about the atrocious delivery: cross-armed, monotoned, and pretentious to the point of being snotty. Nat Geo pros like Medford and Petersen are so much more engaging and pleasant.

OK, beautiful photographs and an exceptional, skilled photographer. But turn off the sound to enjoy it. The dialogue is heavy laden, pretentious, contrived, overblown, mawkish to an extreme, pompous and overly solemn.

the guy is opening his heart for the audience and they are laughing for no reason when was it a photo of a bird so funny?I can not understand these people as if they were laughing at him

@sauravbasu8805

5 жыл бұрын

baselb80 You didn't catch his deadpan humour there.

Beautiful photographs and a great photographer. BUT, he is not a bundle of fun.

i wanna be like you =3

he takes himself very seriously. doesn't even try to Humbrag..

He's just monotoned. A lot of people can't listen to monotoned people speak. I had to stop watching for now, because I'm falling asleep (heat, not because of him) lol. Inspiring work though.