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NOVEMBER 2012 BACK ISSUE
I began taking pictures when I was a young boy. Like a pianist or gymnast who begins her training in early childhood,
photography was something I grew up with and grew into, something that came to mediate my experience of the
world, something for which I developed a sort of muscle memory of the eye and mind. I never played piano or did
gymnastics, but it seems to me I was the luckier kid - practicing taking pictures was never tedious, never felt like a
chore; practicing photography meant getting out of the house, having the privilege to travel and go on adventures,
and having the pleasure of spending time with my father, who was my teacher and mentor in the art and business of
photography.
From my first photography lesson at the age of nine to the excitement of seeing my first photograph in print at the age
of thirteen, to working alongside my father as a teenager, and finally to breaking out on my own, my many years of
apprenticeship under the guidance of my father has had a profound impact not only on my photography practice, but
on the other facets of my creative life as well.
From Peru to India to Russia and beyond, I've chosen some of my favorite images collected over the years, which
demonstrate some of the important lessons I learned from my father. It would take far too long to articulate all of
them here, but here are my top ten:
10. The best photographs are the least obvious: seek out the unexpected.
9. Never shoot in the middle of the day.
8. Be patient: a good location is worth the wait.
7. Most people like to be photographed: don't be afraid to go up to them and ask
their permission.
6. Don't underestimate the power of legwork and access.
5. With a tripod and cable release, amazing things can happen at twilight.
4. Great photographs can be found everywhere: never leave your camera behind.
3. Creative problem solving is just as important as knowing how to compose a
compelling image.
2. Take risks.
1. Develop your own vision!
Abe Nowitz is the son of National Geographic photographer Richard Nowitz whose work featured in the
October 2012 issue.
Mumbai, India. Laundry hangs to dry in a neighborhood around Malabar Hill.
Mancora, Peru. Sunset at Surf Point.
College Park, Maryland, United States. College football practice at the University of Maryland.
Miami Beach, Florida, United States. A model poses in a
clothing store window.
San Francisco, California, United States. A view of the city and the Golden Gate Bridge at sunset.
Moscow, Russia. Workers construct a scaffold on red
square with one of the Kremlin's towers behind them.
Solovetsky Island, Russia. Russian Orthodox monks lead a religious procession.
Rabat, Morocco. A woman prays at the Mausoleum of Mohammed V.
Tamtatouchte, Atlas Mountains, Morocco. Berber women carry produce through a terraced and irrigated field.
Marrakech, Morocco. Doorway with window light.
Kerala, India. Tea estate at sunrise.
Mumbai, India. Flower vendor.
Northern Peru. Ceviche.
Trujillo, Peru. The Marinera Dance Festival.
Huanchaco Beach, Peru. Traditional reed canoes, called caballitos de tortora, or little horses, on the beach at dusk.
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