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.”