“I was asked by a student what my most significant accomplishment was at National Geographic, after thirty years, and I said that my career came to an appropriate close, and I still loved photography. Not everybody who spends their career at anything ends up fascinated and involved with it.” YearsSaidStillsEndsCareersStudentsInvolvedPhotographySignificantAccomplishmentThirtyAppropriateFascinatedThirty YearsNational Geographic Author:Sam Abell
“I think that it's workshops, honestly, that have kept me keen about photography, and about my photography. My career as a workshop photographer came while I was at the Geographic in the late 70's, and has continued consistently since then.” ThinkingCareersLatePhotographyPhotographerHonestlyConsistentlyWorkshops Author:Sam Abell
“It actually has transcended my career at the Geographic, so that when my career there ended, I had momentum as a teacher, and a belief in photographic education at the workshop level.” BeliefLevelsCareersTeacherMomentumWorkshops Author:Sam Abell
“I can't speak for other photographers, but the photographers who went forward strongly when the so-called "official" part of their career ended, to me, were those who had taught. Teaching enriches and enlivens one's work.” I CanSpeakCareersTeachingTaughtPhotographerOfficials Author:Sam Abell
“My least favorite photographer to have would be myself. Someone who wanted a career at National Geographic. Because it's almost mathematically impossible to achieve that.” Would BeWantedCareersImpossibleAchievePhotographerNational Geographic Author:Sam Abell
“In the last workshop I taught, a woman flew in from Thailand. She's a medical doctor in Bangkok. I asked her in her one-on-one session where she wanted photography to be in her life.Did she want a second career? Was it about earning money? Or was it art? And she said "None of those. I want photography to be serious in my life." It would be like someone wanting music, like piano playing, to be a richer, deeper, and maybe even harder experience.” WantArtSaidWould BeWantedLastsCareersTaughtSeriousPhotographyDoctorsHarderDeeperMedicalPianoEarningSessionFlewWorkshopsOne On OneThailandEarning MoneyPiano PlayingBangkokMedical Doctor Author:Sam Abell
