Monthly Archives: August 2008

WASHINGTON (Aug. 22, 2008)—In THE LIFE OF A PHOTOGRAPH (National Geographic Focal Point; ISBN 978-1-4262-0329-9; Oct. 21, 2008; $40), Sam Abell, one of the foremost photographers of our time, shares some of his most powerful and unforgettable images and answers the question, "What gives life to a photograph?"

Drawing on 40 years of Abell's fieldwork, the book takes readers on assignment and inside the heart of this master photographer to witness the making of nearly 200 truly great images. Abell has selected photographs that speak most powerfully to him. They include notable images that he has made for National Geographic magazine and books, as well as photographs from his personal body of work that are published here for the first time.

THE LIFE OF A PHOTOGRAPH is organized around Abell's perspectives on landscape, still life, street scenes and the photography of daily life. Selections cover geography and wildlife from the Arctic to the Amazon, and cultures from Australia to the American West.

In an original concept for a photography book, images are displayed in a unique, highly involving way that allows the viewer to be engaged in the photographic process. By showing similar images side by side, or sequences of photographs of the same event, the viewer is placed in the field and in the editor's chair. Displaying images in this way allows the viewer to see how a setting appears before the subject enters, like an actor on a stage, and how subtle differences in point of view, framing, timing and perspective can lead to strikingly different photographs.

By presenting alternative images and clear, compelling text, Abell describes that act of seeking the picture — "a process with no absolute ending, as time and thought continue to shape the life of a photograph."

With each image Abell presents a master class in photographic thinking. Through his lens, even the most mundane sights — a puddle of water, a bathroom faucet, a circle of laundry drying on the line, a plate of baked beans and toast — are transformed into artful, meaningful creations. Many photographs are complemented by text from Abell, providing background on the photograph and how he crafted the image.

"As a photographer my intent is to bring the world under my aesthetic control," he writes. "Making a picture just right takes time even when the thing you're photographing isn't moving. Instead you do the moving — closer, not so close, change lenses, commit to a tripod, micro compose some detail, step back, reconsider, recompose, step back. And when it looks right, it also feels right — just so. Therefore it's not only things that have made their way into my photography, but also the poetics of them in their setting."

THE LIFE OF A PHOTOGRAPH is part of National Geographic Books' new Focal Point imprint, which draws on National Geographic's legendary photographic archive of more than 10 million images and the work of distinguished photographers around the world. The imprint will present the finest in documentary photography past and present, and monographs will celebrate individual photographers' unique style, vision and skill.

Abell, who learned his craft from his father Thad S. Abell, has photographed for National Geographic magazine for almost 40 years. He is the author of the National Geographic book "Seeing Gardens" as well as "Stay this Moment," a mid-career retrospective accompanied by an exhibition at the International Center of Photography, New York. His retrospective "Sam Abell: The Photographic Life" was accompanied by a traveling exhibition that opened at the University of Virginia Art Museum. Abell also collaborated with Stephen Ambrose on two best-selling National Geographic books, "Lewis and Clark: Voyage of Discovery" and "The Mississippi River."


To arrange an interview with Sam Abell, contact John McFeely at (202) 857-7659, jmcfeely@ngs.org, or Penelope Dackis at (202) 857-7335, pdackis@ngs.org.

WASHINGTON (Aug. 6, 2008)--National Geographic Books' Focal Point imprint, the Society's newest venture, will draw on National Geographic's legendary photographic archive -- encompassing 16 name collections and more than 10 million images -- as well as the work of distinguished photographers around the world. The imprint, debuting this fall, will present the finest in documentary photography past and present, and monographs will celebrate individual photographers' unique style, vision and skill.

Leah Bendavid-Val, director of photography publishing for National Geographic Books, explains, "Focal Point books are carefully chosen to showcase photography's pioneers and its modern masters and will appeal to connoisseurs, professionals, collectors, serious students of photojournalism and all lovers of photography."

A natural extension of National Geographic's photography publishing, from best-selling photography field guides to mass-market photography gift books, Focal Point sets apart titles that represent the most outstanding work of elite photographers. The imprint begins with an inherent advantage -- the wealth of never-before-published material contained in National Geographic's vast historical archive and decades of work created on assignment for National Geographic's magazines.

Four inaugural Focal Point titles demonstrate the wide range and world-class quality that will distinguish this imprint. These books and those that follow will combine the timely and the timeless, illuminating both subject and context.

Alexandra Avakian's WINDOWS OF THE SOUL: My Journeys in the Muslim World (ISBN: 978-1-4262-0320-6; Sept. 30, 2008; $40) reveals the photojournalist's astonishing courage during two decades traveling the globe documenting the Muslim culture. Arresting images and fast-moving tales tell her story.

Sam Abell's THE LIFE OF A PHOTOGRAPH (ISBN: 978-1-4262-0329-9; Oct. 21, 2008; $40) uncovers the back story behind this master photographer's exquisite images, exposing his perseverance, daring, judgment and artistic vision, as well as innovative techniques and the frame-by-frame process of making a truly great photograph. Many of the photographs in this book are being published for the first time.

ODYSSEYS AND PHOTOGRAPHS (ISBN: 978-1-4262-0172-1; Nov. 11, 2008; $40) chronicles the rich and surprising history of four iconic National Geographic field men -- Maynard Owen Williams, Luis Marden, Volkmar Wentzel and Thomas Abercrombie -- told by those who knew them best, along with 200 stellar images, many never before published.

REZA WAR + PEACE: A Photographer's Journey (ISBN: 978-1-4262-0326-8; Nov. 18, 2008; $75) is a 30-year retrospective on the extraordinary work of this renowned, international photojournalist and humanitarian. Reza's images give voice to some of the poorest, war-torn people on the planet, revealing paradoxical beauty, pain and suffering, universal humanity and a visual eloquence at once compassionate, clear-eyed, unsparing and hopeful.

The National Geographic Society is one of the world's largest nonprofit scientific and educational organizations. Founded in 1888 to "increase and diffuse geographic knowledge," the Society works to inspire people to care about the planet. It reaches more than 300 million people worldwide each month through its official journal, National Geographic, and other magazines; National Geographic Channel; television documentaries; music; radio; films; books; DVDs; maps; school publishing programs; interactive media; and merchandise. National Geographic has funded more than 9,000 scientific research, conservation and exploration projects and supports an education program combating geographic illiteracy. For more information, visit nationalgeographic.com.

WASHINGTON (Aug. 6, 2008)—National Geographic contributing photographers Amy Toensing and Matt Moyer will give a group of Virginia students a unique opportunity to document the Appalachian Trail during National Geographic Photo Camp 2008. From Monday, Aug. 11, to Thursday, Aug. 14, the students, who attend Clarke County High School in Berryville, Va., will photograph, edit and design a portrait of their experiences on the trail. The Photo Camp is presented in partnership with the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club, a trail-maintaining affiliate of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC).

During the four-day workshop, students will explore the northern Virginia portion of the Appalachian Trail and surrounding areas, documenting people who enjoy hiking the scenic trail and those who help conserve and manage this vital resource. Toensing and Moyer will brief the students on photographic vision, equipment and technique and guide them through the process of creating a story through photography and writing, working with cameras and laptop computers provided by National Geographic. The young photographers will create a multimedia show using the images as a catalyst for discussing their experiences.

"We hope that Photo Camp 2008 will provide students with a unique lens on the world and help expand their awareness of the environment and their impact on it," said Terry Garcia, National Geographic's executive vice president, Mission Programs. "We are honored to participate in this endeavor."

Participants, their families and community members are invited to a final presentation of the students' work at 5 p.m. on Aug. 14, at ATC's Bears Den Trail Center, 18393 Blueridge Mountain Road, Bluemont, Va.

The theme of the Photo Camp is the environment and conservation, and the aim is to draw attention to youth perspectives on their generation's connection to the natural world.

The Appalachian Trail Conservancy is an 83-year-old, volunteer-based organization dedicated to conserving the natural resources, cultural legacy and recreational experiences of the 250,000-acre greenway of public lands extending from Maine to Georgia. More information is available at appalachiantrail.org.

EVOLT SLR cameras for the Photo Camp have been provided by Olympus Imaging America Inc. Memory cards have been donated to the Photo Camp program by PNY Technologies.

In addition to Toensing's work for National Geographic magazine, she has covered editorial assignments for various national and international publications and private corporations since 2000. Her photographic stories intimately render the lives of ordinary people, and her images have received honors in International Pictures of the Year competitions. In 2003 Toensing was named Photographic Alumni Fellow at The Salt Institute for Documentary Studies, where she worked on a portrait of Muslim teenage girls living in Western culture.

Moyer's photographic work in Egypt, New York City and Iraq focuses on the people behind the news story, and he was named a Knight-Wallace Journalism Fellow for the 2007-2008 academic year at the University of Michigan.

National Geographic Mission Programs is sponsoring other Photo Camps this year in Taos, N.M.; Rajasthan, India; Chesapeake Bay; Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, S.D.; Costa Rica; Camden, Maine; New York; Santa Monica, Calif.; and Miami, in partnership with VisionWorkshops of Annapolis, Md. Visit nationalgeographic.com/photocamp for more information.

The National Geographic Society is one of the world's largest nonprofit scientific and educational organizations. Founded in 1888 to "increase and diffuse geographic knowledge," the Society works to inspire people to care about the planet. It reaches more than 325 million people worldwide each month through its official journal, National Geographic, and other magazines; National Geographic Channel; television documentaries; music; radio; films; books; DVDs; maps; exhibitions; school publishing programs; interactive media; and merchandise. National Geographic has funded more than 9,000 scientific research, conservation and exploration projects and supports an education program combating geographic illiteracy. For more information, visit nationalgeographic.com.