[1] Initially intending to pursue a career as a comic book artist, he started out as a design and illustration major, before switching to photography.

[5] Shortly after graduating from college, Lowy was hired by the Corbis photo agency[6] and assigned to cover the Iraq War for Time magazine.

The book documents his time covering the Iraq war, with profiles of the US soldiers' experiences as seen from their points of view, along with photos of everyday life in the war-torn country.

[9][19][20] Lowy has been publicly defending cellphone photography since 2009, viewing it as an artistic choice, much like photographers who choose black and white film over color.

He appreciates that the resulting photos have a unique aesthetic, which helps bring attention for the war or social issues the images are documenting.

To cover the vast spill, he focused on the oil collected on the water's surface, shooting the psychedelic shapes in extreme close ups and abstract compositions, in an attempt to pique the viewer's curiosity.

[1] Lowy resides in McAllen, Texas with his wife, photographer Marvi Lacar, and their two children, Kaleb and Mateo, who are sometimes featured in his photography.