Sam Abell: A Journey Through Decades and Continents
Sam Abell is a photographer’s photographer. His 50-year career has been dedicated to achieving artistic expression through photography, writing and teaching. Best known for his 33 years as a staff photographer for National Geographic, Abell is a graduate of the University of Kentucky. Six monographs of his work have been published: Stay This Moment, Sam Abell: The Photographic Life, Amazonia, Seeing Gardens, The Life of a Photograph and Sam Abell: Library. In 2024, he was inducted into the International Photography Hall of Fame and received Lifetime Achievement Awards from the Photo Society and the Los Angeles Center of Photography.
In describing his aspirations, Mr. Abell wrote: “I am interested in photographing that which is ineffable”. In his work there is a strong sense of places and the people inhabiting them. But there is also a quiet contemplation that goes far beyond description and into a realm that exists between the photograph and the mind of the viewer.
September 1 – December 31, 2025
Keynote Address for Louisville Photo Biennial 2025 September 10, 5:30pm at the Speed Art Museum
