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The Moment It Clicks: Photography Secrets from One of the World’s Top Shooters
By: Joe Legendary Magazine Photographer McNally
Publisher: Peachpit Press
Pub. Date: January 23, 2008
Print ISBN-10: 0-321-54408-0
Print ISBN-13: 978-0-321-54408-7
Web ISBN-10: 0-321-55290-3
Web ISBN-13: 978-0-321-55290-7
Pages in Print Edition: 272
Subscriber Rating:
[5 Ratings] Subscriber Reviews
Overview
THE FIRST BOOK WITH ONE FOOT ON THE COFFEE TABLE, AND ONE FOOT
IN THE
CLASSROOM
Joe McNally, one of the world’s top pro digital
photographers, whose celebrated work has graced the pages of Sports
Illustrated, Time, and National Geographic (to name a few), breaks
new ground by doing something no photography book has ever
done—blending the rich, stunning images and elegant layout of
a coffee-table book with the invaluable training, no-nonsense
insights, and photography secrets usually found only in those rare,
best-of-breed educational books.
When Joe’s not on assignment for the biggest-name magazines
and Fortune 500 clients, he’s in the classroom teaching
location lighting, environmental portraiture, and how to “get
the shot” at workshops around the world. These on-location
workshops are usually reserved for a handful of photographers each
year, but now you can learn the same techniques that Joe shares in
his seminars and lectures in a book that brings Joe’s
sessions to life.
What makes the book so unique is the “triangle of
learning” where (1) Joe distills the concept down to one
brief sentence. It usually starts with something like, “An
editor at National Geographic once told me…” and then
he shares one of those hard-earned tricks of the trade that you
only get from spending a lifetime behind the lens. Then, (2) on the
facing page is one of Joe’s brilliant images that perfectly
illustrates the technique (you’ll recognize many of his
photos from magazine covers). And (3) you get the inside story of
how that shot was taken, including which equipment he used (lens,
f/stop, lighting, accessories, etc.), along with the challenges
that type of project brings, and how to set up a shot like that of
your own.
This book also gives you something more. It inspires. It
challenges. It informs. But perhaps most importantly, it will help
you understand photography and the art of making great photos at a
level you never thought possible. This book is packed with those
“Ah ha!” moments—those clever insights that make
it all come together for you. It brings you that wonderful moment
when it suddenly all makes sense—that “moment it
clicks.”
Subscriber Reviews
Average Rating: 
Based on 5 Ratings
"Completely Changed My Path as a Photographer" - by Brightvillage on 30-DEC-2011
Reviewer Rating:
Amazing book. Read it if you are a photographer. Read it if you're not. Read it if you use flash. Especially read it if you don't use flash. This book helped me understand so clearly the "Why" of lighting good photos and it completely changed the game for me.
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"Want to be a better photographer? Read this book." - by Peter Tran on 28-MAR-2011
Reviewer Rating:
I just finished reading this book on SafariBooksOnline and will be purchasing a hard copy. Joe “Numnuts” McNally is an amazing photographer specializing in flash photography. You can read more about Joe from his website - http://www.joemcnally.com/blog/.
The first four chapters are examples of Joe’s work. In each example, he provides a background story which is used to emphasize an important point or lesson. The pictures are just amazing, and the stories are often amusing or poignant, but they’re all thought-provoking. He also provides notes on how he established the shot. I often found myself going back and forth from the story to picture to study how he did it. I had over 18 bookmarks to remind myself of some of the lessons.
For example: “Take this to the bank when shooting candlelight: ISO 400, 1/15 second, f/2.8-and a-half. Give or take a smidge (technical term). Flash settings: dial –2 EV (exposure value), and put half-cut of CTO (an amber/warm gel) over the flash head. That’s it. Looks like candlelight.”
My other two favorite sections are “Joe’s Lighting Tips” and “Joe’s Camera Bag”. I was drooling over all his equipment gears. The last chapter - “The Barroom: The Bar is Open” - are war stories from his photography assignments. I was at times laughing in tears or teary eyed from these stories.
This is one of those perfect books you want laying around your house so friends and family can pick up to read and get lost into it and not even realize it.
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Table of Contents
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1 TokenGlossary