At the Limits of tl;dr: Sam Abell at B&H

I don't usually post on Saturday, but I also usually leave you on Friday with something tasty to occupy some of your free time on the weekend, and I didn't do that yesterday. So, this video, suggested by Josh R.:

(Here's the link to it on YouTube.)

Some of you will no doubt remember the book, which was a bestseller through our links. The book is still in print (and quite inexpensive—it's a nicely made hardcover [UPDATE Monday the 26th: it apparently sold out after I mentioned it. Only used copies available now]). If anything, the talk is even better than the book, because you hear Sam's voice and get some measure of his character. Although of course you see the pictures better on the printed page.

The video is probably pushing the limits of "tl;dr"—"too long, didn't read." You might have noticed that YouTube recently has started pushing "shorts"—little micro-videos that possess the depth and profundity of greeting cards. Perhaps the apotheosis of society's collective attention-deficit disorder*. Not for Sam Abell such truffles. His talk goes firmly in the other direction, clocking in at just under one hour and fifty minutes. 

And yet it's engaging the whole way through, and not difficult to watch. You get into it. He does something in this video that I have long thought would be an invaluable tutorial about shooting—he shows the evolution of a number of shots, starting with what initially attracted him, and then how he works it to end up at the final result. I don't know about you, but that's how I shoot. You see his "visual thinking" visually, with voiceover. Very valuable.

I haven't watched even a large minority of the videos that were suggested here recently, so I'm in no position to declare where this one ranks relatively speaking. But it's excellent.

And really, it's no longer than a movie, or a football game, whether American football** or World football. And we watch that on weekends. So perhaps this is something for a change.

Mike
(Thanks to Josh)

P.S. I got out photographing yesterday! Didn't get anything, but back in the saddle again. ::thumbsup::

*I did hear a good Dad joke on one: "My wife asked if I'd seen the dog bowl. I said I never knew he did."

**I watched "Thursday Night Football" the other night, which now streams free with Amazon Prime. First football game I've seen in several years. Naturally, this is dwarfed by the fact that the U.S. Open starts in only 16 days!! I know, you can't wait. Me neither.

Book o' the Week

Migrant Mother, by Sarah Meister. "Each volume in the One on One series is a sustained meditation on a single work from the collection of MoMA." Forty-two pages with many illustrations. An engaging guided tour of the history and lore of "American photography's Mona Lisa."

This book link is a portal to Amazon. You're very kind use our links, as they help support the site.

B&H Photo

Original contents copyright 2020 by Michael C. Johnston and/or the bylined author. All Rights Reserved. Links in this post may be to our affiliates; sales through affiliate links may benefit this site. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

(To see all the comments, click on the "Comments" link below.)
Featured Comments from:

Ken Bennett: "We were super lucky to get Sam Abell to speak when I hosted our conference of professional university photographers a few years ago. He gave a similar presentation, working through well-known images and showing how he got there. (Yes, he was sponsored by Canon, and many thanks to them.) I had seen Mr. Abell back in the late '80s or so, at a news photography conference at the very beginning of my career, and that presentation had a huge influence on my work.

"At the conference that I hosted, Mr. Abell gave a great presentation, then came to the hospitality room and stayed talking with our members all night. He was super easy to talk to and I'll never forget that."

Bob: "It is a fascinating talk! His advice is obvious and valuable, yet I don't think I've encountered most of it in all the way-too-many how-to videos I've watched. Thanks for sharing...."

Kenneth Tanaka: "Ah, Sam Abell’s semi-autobiographical 'The Life of a Photograph' talk (and 2008 book). His book has been a bit of a touchstone for me for a long time. Abell’s work straddles what’s become familiarly known as the 'Geographic' style (skillfully constructed but often overly sentimental and scenic) and a more conceptual 'fine art' style, pretty much where I usually aim to live! And while I’ve not yet seen this B&H presentation of his talk, I have seen him give mostly the same presentation in a more formal venue (a Nat Geo Live! presentation, I think). His style of presentation hasn’t changed; a bit slow and a bit too artificially dramatic and important for me. But containing plenty of nutrition. That aside, I have tremendous admiration for Sam Abell’s work. Anyone who could make a living for over 30 years shooting Nat Geo assignments has big chops as both a craftsman and as a politician. And his father’s guidance of 'compose and wait' became a primary strategy of my own work since first hearing it from Abell. So thank you for highlighting Abell's B&H talk! It’s on my watch list for Sunday."

Rohitha Gunetilleke: "I spent five days in a Sam Abell workshop. His teachings changed my photography. These days my rangefinder window lingers on a shot until the micro focus elements fall into place, often a frustrating and finally a satisfying experience."

Comments

[Jim]

Oh, THAT US Open
https://matchroompool.com/usopenpool/2022-us-open-pool-championship/

I’ll be watching!

[Bob Johnston]

Many thanks for pointing us to this video Mike. It was both fascinating and informative. I for one learnt a few things from it. I will be looking out for other presentations by Mr Abell

[Niels]

Mike said; "You might have noticed that YouTube recently has started pushing "shorts"—little micro-videos that possess the depth and profundity of greeting cards."

I am very happy about that, as most of the content on YouTube isn't worth more than a micro-video.

But not this one, though. I happily sat through the whole session.

Thanks for sharing!

[Herman Krieger]

In 1998 I attended a photo workshop given by Sam Abell. It turned out to be mostly about Sam Abell and his book.
Here is the photo he made of me.

[Those sunglasses looked Photoshopped! But it can't be, as Sam never does that. --Mike]

[John Krill]

I've watch this video so many times I have lost track of the number. I think I watch it a lot because I have bad long term memory or I just enjoy listening to Mr Abell. Probably both.

As they say: Now where was I?

[Bill Tyler]

Sam Abell's comment about "compose and wait" reminded me of some advice I once got about video from an experienced videographer. "Don't pan, don't zoom." That is, compose the frame and let stuff happen in it. It's good advice in both realms.

[Robert Stahl]

I had the pleasure of taking a workshop and getting to know Sam Abell
the summer of 2000 at the Coupeville Arts Center on Whidbey Island
northwest of Seattle (today called the Pacific Northwest Art School).
It was an experience that literally changed my life both as a person and
as a photographer/photography teacher. Sam is a gifted and articulate
instructor whose evaluations were always constructive and helpful. He
has the unique ability to honor his students and their photographic
interests. And Sam's photography deserves a mention as well. It is
quiet, thoughtful, and imbued with life.

[grigoris]

thank you mike!