Sam Abell

Sam Abell (born February 19, 1945)^[1][2] is an American photographer known for his frequent publication of photographs in National Geographic.

Sam Abell in San Miguel de Allende (2016)

Life

Abell was born in Sylvania, Ohio.^[1] His father, a geography teacher, ran a photography club. In his book The Photographic Life, Abell mentions a photograph he made while on an outing with his father, a photograph that subsequently won a small prize in a photo contest. He credits that prize as being a major influence on the direction his life would take.

Abell graduated B.A. from the University of Kentucky in English in 1969.^[1] He is also a teacher, artist and author. He began to work for National Geographic in 1976.^[3] He received an honorary Doctor of Letters degree from the University of Toledo in 2009.^[4]

The Life of a Photograph is one of a three-volume series begun in 2000 with Seeing Gardens. It was followed in 2002 with The Photographic Life.

In 2024, Sam received the Lifetime Achievement Award from The Photo Society,^[5] and was inducted into the International Photography Hall of Fame.^[6]

Publications

Publications by Sam Abell

• Amazonia, Sam Abell, 2010 ISBN 087114087X
• The Life of A Photograph, Sam Abell, 2008 ISBN 1426203292
• Seeing Gardens (National Geographic), Sam Abell, 2000 ISBN 0792279565

Collaborative Publications

• Stay This Moment: Photographs of Sam Abell, Sam Abell and Robert E. Gilka, 1990 ISBN 0934738726