This book if filled with brilliant images, and some great auto-biographical narration. However, while some of his explanations may work for beginners, I feel that most may become frustrated without some more in-depth information. As a senior, working on a BFA in photography, I found this book to be incredibly helpful and insightful, but it does require some foreknowledge. I am looking forward to discussing some of these things with my professors, so that I can better achieve some of the techniques that he discusses. A couple of years ago, though, I think that I may have been disappointed, and unable to get much from the book. Certainly, any experience level could appreciate and learn some amount from this book. I think it's important to keep in mind that, really, no photograph should be replicated just for replication's sake. Is it realistic to apply this knowledge to my photographs? Yes! Would I try to copy exact ideas, etc? No. I just don't see the point of reinventing an identical wheel. If that's your intent when thinking of buying this book, I don't think you'll find it satisfactory. Just my honest opinion....
-E

This was a great read. It mixes a lot of the "practical" behind the scenes aspects of putting a shoot together with the technical parts of how the shot was taken. McNally is frank about the hardships and sacrifices of trying to become a professional photographer and doesn't pull any punches about the effects on his family life. But for the most part the book is light hearted and fun to read. It's probably not the best book on the technical aspects of lighting/photography, but if you have any interest in portrait/slice-of-life photography you'll definitely enjoy this.

Lots of anecdotal information mixed in with a quick blurb on how the picture was shot, that is what makes this a fun & informative book to read, more for the intermediate or begining photographer that intends to move their "hobby" to the next level or find out how those cool pictures are done, cool moral booster too because you find out that not evey shot a Pro takes is planned that way nor turns out all the time...definatly one of the better books to buy.

This is an interesting book, filled with beatiful photos and first hand explanations of how they were taken. It is well written and interesting reading for any photographer. However the photographer used a small truck load of lighting equipment for almost every shot, so it is not of much instructional use to a photographer who does not posses, or is willing to rent, an almost unlimited amount of flash lighting equipment for every photographic session.

This book has a very simple layout, a picture on the right side and a description of the shot on the left. While it doesn't provide a high level of detail, it does demonstrate the wide range of challenges the author faced getting the pictures completed. Sometimes the challenges are technical, sometimes it is working with models and sometimes he is just lucky. It is not a step by step lighting book, but it is an excellent resource for seeing how an expert dealt with all types of problems to get an excellent image.

Initially I dismissed this book but its grown on me. Like other reviewers I felt the title was misleading "Photography secrets from one of the world's top shooters"
Now that I've say down and started reading it. Its now one of my favourite books.

Especially as I am into strobist blog and use Nikon speedlights. There is another Joe McNally book on the way "The Hot Shoe Diaries" and I will certainly be pre ordering it. If its anything like as informative as Dave Hobbies DVD Set.(Honestly once you've seen this DVD everything about off camera lighting just clicks together. Its mind blowing) I'll be very pleased.

Education, entertainment and impressive imagery. Joe educates us with lots of advice and by giving us explanations of how he created some of the images in the book. He entertains us with war stories from his career and he certainly impresses us with his imagery. One could easily imagine this book as a PowerPoint presentation. For each two-page spread we get a bullet item that relates some advice, an image to demonstrate this advice and the story behind the image. For some images we also get a fuller explanation of some aspect of photography (i.e. lighting) that pertains to the creation of the image.

This book is not a substitute for a book focusing solely on lighting or one on composition, exposure, the use of color or the like. It is also not a business practice manual. It's light on all of these but inhabits the tough middle area where it has some value in all of these and other areas. I did come away with the realization that the work to create the images in this book was usually more laborious than Joe let on as he made it look easy. I attribute this to Joe's talent and experience and that for him it would indeed be much easier to do this than if we tried this ourselves in the real world. I'm okay with that as this book doesn't pretend to be a thick textbook book on some aspect of photography or a detailed autobiography. In all, it was an entertaining, educational and inspiring read.

This book became one of my favorite all time photography books from the moment I picked it up!

Joe McNally is truly a legend. This book showcases some of his greatest work, and on the page opposite each photo he tells a story to go with it. He also gives the most basic description of the technical side of the lighting.

If you are looking for highly technical step by step detailed instructions on how to reproduce each photo,this book is not for you. You have to have a firm grasp on the technical side of photography, especially lighting, before you can appreciate this book. But if you are already lighting like a pro, this book can help you see how a "superstar" pro would have taken the shot. More than step by step instructions, this book gives you insight into Joe McNally's career and how he achieves the photos that are truly a step above the rest of us.

The biggest thing I got from this book is inspiration to think outside the box and go for the real wow photo instead of being satisfied with good. I loved the funny stories revealing how he talked subjects into letting him get the shot he wanted as well as the stories on solving technical problems on the fly with less than conventional methods.

And the pictures are amazing. I have flipped through this book over and over, studying the technical aspects and soaking up the inspiration.

I highly recommend this book for any professional wanting inspiration and a little guidance on how to step up their work a bit!

I expected more about how to take good photos. This book shows how one man does it, but not any details, methods, etc. Otherwise filled with good photos.

The book does not cover anything that will help you shoot better photos if you storys its ok i guess

Mr. Steffens makes a number of very solid points in his thoughtful review of this book, and I would certainly caution potential readers to take note of what he is saying as I was hoping for more direct insight in terms of how to recreate some of the truly amazing photos that Mr. McNally has captured over the years. If you are looking for a point by point instruction set on how to pose a subject, or exactly where to place lighting (in more than general terms), this is probably not the book for you. That said, I still give the book high marks. There is plenty of information that is useful for the experienced photographer about how to make some informed decisions when working on an assignment. The work presented is certainly inspirational, and it's hard to imagine a step-by-step guide from a photographer who has had worked with any number of celebrities and captured award winning images. The vast majority of photographers simply are not going to find themselves presented with many of the types of work that Joe has encountered (we can always dream though). I still recommend that anyone who wants to learn more about Joe's work pick up this book, both for a source of inspiration and instruction.

The book is just perfect for me!
Great photographs, lots of talk about lighting and stories that is just long enough.

Mr. McNally is a very successful, inspiringly innovative, commercial photographer with extensive knowledge about lighting people anywhere, and in an impressive variety of ways. This book's color plates give ample evidence to that. Its audience has quite a wide range of expectations. Perhaps the publisher's description could be more clear but I suspect the problem would persist. It is no one's fault. For example, I do not agree with the publisher's description that this book's printing is "coffee table" quality. The printing here is competent but ordinary for its genre. The photographs are what are extraordinary, not how well they were reproduced. It isn't very important.

What really is important here is discussing what the book potentially offers to readers of good faith wishing to learn about location lighting and from productive problem solving including when things do not go as planned. Scott Kelby writes another kind of book that is a "How To" and he is excellent in offering a step by step approach. That is his niche and he is the master. By contrast, Mr. McNally offers far less experience teaching via written books but he has a portfolio that few can boast in his field and that includes Mr. Kelby. Writing is difficult and unlike teaching a class there are thousands of consumers with very different levels of expertise. I suggest that we look at Mr. McNally's strengths in lighting and composition, his perseverance, his outgoing personality and implicit ability to give his subjects confidence and place them at ease despite the lights, stands and camera in their face doing everything to defeat all of that. To expect that this book will teach you to equal the best of what he has done in extremely complicated situations that demanded everything he knows from his entire career and lifetime of learning including his failures is probably wishful thinking. There are no shortcuts. You can get better if not every day then every week and that adds up. If you think photography is a simple, easy profession now is the time to question that. Moreover, explaining everything behind each shot would take a lot more than a paragraph or even a page or two to convey -- far more.

What can you learn from this book? Lots. Learn to methodically add knowledge and solve problems that you can experiment with to make your own. Do more than try to mimic the appearance that Mr. McNally uses. He also thinks, creates content and generates emotional power within his shots that evolved over his particular life and career. He knows what you do not. He knows why and what he went through in a series of decisions and choices to arrive at what we see. The appearance is - believe it or not - the easy part. People who hire you will be rather savvy about that.

You can learn to analyze how light works in each shot - which he very carefully composes - again, that is not obvious, nor was there one solution that is either simple or easily mastered just by copying someone else. Look for the underlying principles about what explains how various qualities of light look, how you can gain command and predictability of them and then learn to choose the best solution(s) for a particular client. Begin to discover how he lights by learning to see the evidence of all his light in each scene. Nothing is hidden. Break it down into simple parts like seeing the effect of distance of a specific light from the subject, the effect from the change in size of the light source, the kind of light source and combining direct light with diffused light and bounce light. Make your own flags, cutters and gobos to experiment with refining your light. Learn to make experiments, record your findings and test or make practice assignments to observe how and why light behaves as it does. This book's shots are in part about the control the color of artificial and mixed ambient light sources, blending effects from different heights and angles of light that are all simple principles easily learned on their own. You can see that yourself. After all, each plate leaves direct evidence about every light source's type, position and how each was modified.

I believe he has generously explained a lot about how he works. We can agree to disagree if it is sufficient or not. Perhaps for each shoot a video on site would have been the best answer for some people who are looking for the most comprehensive view of his how's although logistically that would be unlikely. I believe that you will still need to know the why's if you want to apply these skills in original ways. But keep in mind we are discussing just the means, his craft. This is not a cookbook. You might become a competent technician that way but I suggest that Mr. McNally is far more than that and that is why he has both the professional recognition and the clients he has.

The book has won more praise from photographers of all ilk than just about any other book ever, though as I discovered $55 later, Joe McNally's blue-collar celebrity and incredible photographic versatility don't guarantee that everything he publishes is as cool as he is. The party line is that the book "has one foot on the coffee table and one in the classroom," which amounts to two few feet, as I see it; each image is paired with a very soft technical explication that merely suggests that McNally is, in fact, alive (and proud of what he's done while alive). Sure, the novice with little imagination may feel treated to privileged perspective thumbing through the candied panoply of McNally's greatest hits, but unless you're at ground zero with this novice, this book will not elevate your craft at all (even though Joe is cool).

Not for those looking for f/stops and shutter speeds.

It gives you the litle tricks you gain by practicing...

In cooking (and in French) this would be similar to a great cook explaining his "Tours de main". The little secrets that turn a known recepy into a journey to the realms of scents at tastes...

The first photography book I've read cover to cover in one sitting.
Beautifully written, A lifetimes worth of tips and advice shared in a lighthearted way. The more I reread it the more aha moments I have. Joe Mc Nally is a great phototographer who's walked the walk.

simply one of the best photography books ive read, beautiful photos, lots of technical and amusing anecdotes, and lots to learn and love!

This is an excellent book that lives up to the phrase on the back of the book. It contains excellent illustrated images as well as instructions how to perform the shots. The book is an excellent choice for beginner and experienced shooter. Like many other books, it stirs up the creative thinking.

Joe McNally presents various methods to create interesting shots. Although many of us might never have the opportunity to shoot the same images in the book, we might be in a situation to combine various techniques taught. After owning the book for a short period of time, I put to use many of the techniques from the book.

It is a keeper compared to other books that I buy and sell immediately.

Joe McNally is a well-known professional photographer and photojournalist. His images have been seen in National Geographic, Sports Illustrated, ESPN magazine, Life magazine, Time magazine and many others. Between a very demanding job, teaching workshops, an Internet blog and being a father - this guy has no free time to spare.

So, how would you like to see some of his best work, hear the story behind the shot and some of the details of HOW he got the shot? Just pick up a copy of his book "The Moment it Clicks", published by New Riders.

In it, Joe goes over many of his images you will recognize from the pages of Life magazine and other publications and tells a short story about the shot, the subject and the problems. He even goes into some detail about how he set up lighting, got the right timing, or tricked the subject into NOT posing.

This is a rare opportunity to learn from one of the greatest photojournalists around, for just the price of a coffee table book; and it proves to be so much more valuable, with all of the technical details. Highly recommended, by little `ole me, and MANY others!

While it does not quite measure up to the promotional blurb, this book is a great read and does in fact contain plenty of practical, useful information, and many excellent photos.

This is the book you should have if you've ever wondered, or are learning to become a pro photo-journalist. So many behind the scenes tid-bits and advice that I think this should be required reading for any visual communications program. Will you learn the specifics of lighting? No. But this is not the book to get if you need to learn begining lighting. This is the book to get to understand what lighting is about.

I loved the book "The Digital Photography Book, Volume 2 " by Scott Kelby. In his book he mentioned that "The Moment It Clicks" is the next book to purchase, so I followed thru and bought it. Scott must be sharing a commission check by promoting the book. I was expecting much more that I received. No secrets revealed, no F stops or shutter speeds mentioned but plenty of boring story telling. I didn't want a story book, I wanted a how-to book and this wasn't it. Nice photos but now what. How were they done? No instruction. Scott's recommendation was way off on this one. Shame on him.

This lovely book floods you with the culture of photography. You feel the passion and learn the technique without realizing you are being taught. A great inspiration and a favorite in my library. Thanks Mr. McNally.

The cover copy of The Moment It Clicks by Joe McNally says that the book has "one foot on the coffee table," and this is fair enough. Joe is a top shooter of the National Geographic, Life Magazine, and editorial assignment ilk. I throughly enjoyed looking through the photos in this book, and reading the stories behind them. I thought Joe's general advice was invariably accurate ("If you want something to look interesting, don't light all of it.").

Those are the pros (yes, pun intended). The con for this book is that unless you have mega access to celebrities, lavish budgets for sets, and assistants to schlepp all kinds of lighting accessories around with you, this book won't help you much with pragmatic issues.

I also wish Joe would swim a little more with digital. You know, the answer isn't to always do it in the camera, or to always do it in Photoshop. It's to figure out which is best and easiest in a specific situation. Joe could save himself some grief at the shooting end if he better appreciated what Photoshop can do.

This is a superb book, and I recommend it for every photographer's shelf, despite the quibbles found in my review.

Short review here,since the others have given it a good summary. This is half 'how I did it' photography book, and half 'conversation with a great photographer with some hidden nuggets'. Great for photographers and those who are just interested in seeing some really excellent photos.

I picked up this book in a bookshop when browsing for something else. I love this book! It is more about the "art" and "feelings" of photography and less about the "box" you are using to shoot the pictures. Many photography books I have accumulated I give away when I am finished reading them--this one is a keeper.

I was expecting a well written book by a expert in his field. This book was well reccomended by Scott Kelby which was good enough for me. I was highly dissapointed. The entire book was based around how he used thousands of dollars worth of lighting to get ordinary pictures. I understand lighting is important but 240 pages of how he lit his pictures was to much. No real insite to how he composed or planned the pictures. Or even the camera set up he used. I am no expert but I do know when something is written to make a couple of dollars. The last 14 pages of the book is a glossary of the terms he used in the book (some made up). I read the entire book in a evening. Some comments were interesting but woke up the next morning trying to remember a single thing I liked about the book. Only thing I can remember is that he uses a lot of very expensive lighting for his shots.
Shame on Scott Kelby for reccomending this book.

I've been a fan of Joe McNally for years and have heard him lecture in person a few times. To say that I've been looking forward to a book from him would be an understatement.

However, when I first heard about this book I wasn't sure that I wanted it. Normally, I like two kinds of photo books. Those that show the photographer's work or those that are of the "how to" type. This is neither in that it combines both genres......kind of.

It's certainly not a collection of McNally's work in the conventional sense. It is, instead, a potpourri of his photos. It's also not a "how-to" book since it doesn't give more than a cursory explanation of how the photos were made. All that said, I've found it to be extremely enjoyable.

The photos are typical McNally. Technically and aesthetically superb. Nothing less than what one would expect.

In his how-to explanations (which I think of as "how to lite", no pun intended), Joe gives a brief overview of what was involved in getting each shot. That's fine with me, as I've never understood why some photographers feel that they need to give the aperture and shutter speed for every shot. While such information can be useful if one wants to duplicate a specific effect, they are meaningless for most shots as they only represent the light conditions present at that place and time.

What comes through loud and clear are McNally's insights and practical advice. He doesn't tell us how to duplicate each shot but, instead, tells us why he did what he did to get it. Let's face it, he knows, and so should we, that we are never going to own the equipment that he does or are we ever likely to develop the expertise to use it in the ways that he does.

If you're looking for a portfolio of Joe's work or a how-to guide to help you duplicate it, save your money as you won't find that here. If you want to get into McNally's head and perhaps become motivated to improve your own photography as a result, you won't be disappointed.

I'll keep this short and sweet.

1. NOT a cookbook or "how to" book.
2. NOT a beginners book.
3. IS a book for high intermediate level and advanced photographers (see#4).
4. This book does not give F stops or other technical information. That's why it's an advanced book.
5. 100% LOCATION photography and how to overcome the hardships of this type of shot.
6. Emphasis on hard core commercial photography, as in Donald Trump, CEO's, Sports figures, etc. But if you know your stuff, you can use the information to your advantage for any location shooting.

Summary: This book made a lot of sense to me, but only because I understand light and the problems of location photography. If you do not understand the problems of light on location, how to use strobes, reflectors, etc., then you will not "get" this book.

McNally is pretty extraordinary in his element, which is fast thinking in a fast paced location based commercial environment. He hit everything I've experienced stress wise trying to create a nice image using natural and strobe light on location.

If you have ever tried location photography w/o a flash gun on your camera--because you do not use an ON CAMERA flash when doing location photography (and bouncing an on camera flash counts as having the light off camera, and yes there are exceptions)--then you understand the horrible chills you get when learning this skill, and even after you learn the basics the stress and abject FEAR involved. McNally does a great job of imparting this fear and stress and explaining how he works though it, or not--he admits sometimes you just fail, get use to it.

In that sense, the book gets 5 stars. If you think you are the only one who goes through these levels of fear, stress, self hatred, and messing up, then read this book. It will allow you, if nothing else, to see that you are on the right track and that even super pros like McNally go through these same anxieties.

In conclusion, this book is for advanced photographers looking to hone their skills and to understand if they are actually on the right track. Even if you don't do hard core commercial, you can impart this information to your skill set because all of the stuff he talks about is relevant to ANY location type photography, including weddings. The book also uses what I believe are perfect examples of what Joe is trying to convey to other photographers.

Thanks Joe. Good book!

Fabulous book, hilarious but very useful comments, great pictures!
I'm sure Joe is a great teacher and person!

Someone here said Joe didn't reveal everything. That is not true. He gives you more details in the beginning and as you read further, it's more about particular atmosphere or thoughts he used to create the particular image - NOT an instant-recipe for perfect photo!
Doesn't matter if you are a pro or a rookie, his thoughts could provide you with something you accidentally overlooked!

This book makes you think and use your brain, rather than copy/paste or steal his ideas!

well, unfortunately i don't have all the neat equipment and access joe has. but joe has a great eye for "the moment" and gives us an idea of what it takes to get it. it was an interesting read to see how he decides to capture his images. various elements we may overlook are a big help to the overall effect of the picture. flipping through the book of a well-known international photographer alone gives you a feel for the professional look. i was disappointed that this book wasn't about camera settings to shoot with for different situations, but i gotta say joe does impart interesting professional knowledge. just to review his work alone is a fascinating learning experience for young photographers like myself. in sum, don't expect to learn about exposure and settings so much, but prepare to observe how to capture "the moment" through a professional eye. joe gives us access to the professional world of photography that we normally don't have access to.

The photography in itself is terrific, but what makes it all work is the author's unique ability to execute a concept.

If you like to look at great pictures, and learn the story behind them, this book is for you! I really enjoyed reading this, and I will probably flick through it from time to time.

However, I did not learn much that will make me a better photographer. The reason is that Joe is on a very different level, and on a very different budget, than I am, so as long as I don't have a lot of strobes and soft boxes, I really can not apply his tips. I did learn some principles, but to me, the strength of this book is the great pictures and the amusing stories.

If you already know a bit of lighting and photography basics, you'll love this book. If you don't have a clue but you'd like to learn, this book has a lot to teach, but not specifics, its more about the broader vision that's behind all those little things. Great and entertaining, full of stories, tips, etc.

I have a lot of books on (pro)photography, but this book and Michael Grecco's (Lighting and the Dramatic Portrait: The Art of Celebrity and Editorial Photography) are my favorites. They are hands on with great pictures and the story behind them (how to make them).

Very funny as well. I finished it within a day. The cons: well some pictures and stories were entertaining but not inspirational.

Joe McNally's book is a must read for the experienced photographer looking for practical tips and wisdom learned thru years of experience! I'm not sure the novice would understand many of the tips, but if you've been shooting for awhile and understand the concepts and principles of lighting, this book will provide you with some of that knowledge and wisdom that it takes years of experience to gain.

Beautifully illustrated photography book. Excellent "how to get the shot" tutorial. A must for photographers.

excellent book from one of the greatest photographers of our time. fantastic shots with superficial dissection of why and how. overall the technological level required to obtain this pictures is way out of my league and intent. Very nice book to expand your thinking and give you some insight on the complicated and fascinating world of pro photography...

for more down to earth matters that will improve your shooting quickly without having to buy 20 flashes, 5 softboxes and 2 umbrellas, I prefer " the photographer's eye"!

From its description, I expected a "how-to" book. It isn't. Rather, it is a book filled with truly excellent photographs with a bit of personal story for each, many of which are interesting, and just a couple of hints about capturing shots like those on the pages.

The truth is that most of us will never have the opportunity to get shots like these; at the top of a New York skyscraper, dangling from a helicopter 500 feet about the well-known Hollywood sign in Los Angeles, photographing prima ballerinas and telling them to take off their shoes.

One revealing tidbit of just how different Joe McNally is different from me (and probably you) is the contents of his camera bag. Well, actually bags: three of them. Three Nikon bodies, eleven Nikon lenses, five Nikon SB-800 speedlights - and a lot more. And, of course, a lot of the shots are lit with truly serious lighting, the kind of units that cost thousands of dollars or rent for hundreds of dollars a day. like Joe's Avenger 12 x 12 foot Butterfly Foldaway Frame.

So what do we have here?

A book of great photographs, some interesting stories on how they came to be and some hints and tips.

It is more than enough, frankly.

For example, Joe tells of an experience in Star City, the Russian space training facility. He gets on a zero-gravity training plane by bribing someone with $7,500, talks about retching 50 times as the plane dives to acheive zero Gs, gives a one sentence of how he made the shot on the facing page which, frankly, is breathtaking.

No, I will never be able to duplicate Joe's experience, but I am sure glad to that Joe McNally has shared some insights into his life with the rest of us.

All told, this is really more or less a coffee table photo book with a lot of personal stories. Great photography, great stories and more than a few useful tips.

Jerry

First of all. I am not Nikon shooter. And it really irritates to see Joe pushing this brand in the book so hard. I understand he is getting paid by them, but hey.. i paid for the book, not for the Nikon ad.

Other than that.. Its a good book, full of stories and decent imagery (well few shots are horrible to me taste, but its just me), and tips.

Again - its not a cookbook. But its feeding your brain enough to start properlling ;) I would read it again and again, i believe, and recommend it highly to me friends (specially Nikon users.. arf)

Finally a guy that realizes you can make a how to book on photography instructional and entertaining to read. A perfect combination of actual on teh job situations and description on how to get it done. Format was helpful to be able to look up a particular look or situation quickly, and the humor and stories are worth it alone...

I have seen him get standing ovations at photos shows. Check out this book and you'll know why - rick sammon

I have the feeling that once they assembled the photos, then the author or editors decided upon what the various chapters would be called. I say this because the reality is the chapters broken out into Shoot what you love, Keep your eye on the camera, The logic of light, There is always something to bounce light off of - to me don't really speak to the real power of the book. Its about photography right? So just flipping through the book is actually more a delight and worthwhile than following a seemingly bare thread of like associated topics.

The photos are a great collection. The text accompanying each photo gives a story about the shot which details something different each time - such as a story about using a bed sheet to cut hard sun for a Time life cover shot - a lesson, story and technique rolled into one. The book cleverly moves through this way, showing great photos by well known photographers over time. And photography is what it is about. The Shot. The quickness to capture what is there. One great line is that you have to make sure the picture speaks for itself - as you will not be in the room when people look at it. Basic
advice, but one like other basic and straight forward advice, is valuable and oft ignored.

Treat this book at a group of mentors imparting some advice to you. While not a book to use as a tool such as - hey I want to replicate that picture - but one that will guide you by a mixture of stories, technique, talent and just maybe a little luck.

Great for all types of photographers.

This book is filled with superb tips on photography lighting, setup and so much more! Each two-page spread on a unique photo-shoot is written so that it makes sense and sticks.

Novice to professionals will benefit from Joe McNally's experience as a photographer with Life, National Geographic, and Sports Illustrated. There are basic photographic tips for those that want to point and shoot with a little more flair. But more, there are very technical tips on how to use professional lighting systems to achieve very "unlit" natural results. This is by no means a dry step-by-step how-to book. It's written in a very conversational style: "oh, you want to know how I took that photo of Michelle (Pfeiffer), pull up a chair and let me tell you." It is an easy read, filled with humor and tales of a journeyman photographer. The first read took me just a couple days at a few pages a day. A few weeks has gone by and I realize that I want to commit many more of McNally's tips to memory, that will take me a couple more rereads. I'm looking forward to it. The book is 50% fantastic photos (of who's who in sports and pop culture) and 50% how to make these photos.

I'm in awe of people who can take great pictures with seemingly little effort. But in reality, those pictures are a combination of skill, knowledge, and not a small measure of luck. Joe McNally, a very well-known photographer who has shot for Time, National Geographic, and others, "converses" with the reader in The Moment It Clicks: Photography secrets from one of the world's top shooters. You'll find out how his mind works to control lighting and scene to make those famous images.

Contents:
Shoot What You Love; Keep Your Eye in the Camera; The Logic of Light; There's Always Something to Bounce Light Off Of; Joe's Lighting Tips; Joe's Camera Bag; Joe's Grip and Lighting Gear; The Barroom; Glossary; Index

This book was born from a workshop where McNally was presenting. He was sharing gems of experience, when it dawned on one of the attendees that capturing these nuggets of wisdom could be a perfect method for letting everyone get into the mind of a great photographer. The format of the book consists mostly of two page spreads. The right side shows the photo, and the left side is McNally sharing the story behind the image. Not only does he share what it took to get the picture, but he also gets into the technical aspects of how it was lit and shot. So much of what he does is based on lighting. Too much, too little, bouncing off items, focussed lighting, ambient, etc... When you get done, you'll never look at light in quite the same way again.

Will this book allow you to replicate the same types of shots that have made McNally famous? No. For one, he has hundreds of thousands of dollars of equipment, and often has a budget to do things like renting elephants and hanging people from helicopters. My guess is that you don't have that working for you. Also, he doesn't use a "do this, then this, then this" approach. He does talk about the equipment and settings, the lighting and circumstances, but it's more as if you were sitting in a pub talking to a best mate. If you're not experienced on camera technology and terminology, you'll also miss a fair amount of the value. But if you've done some work and become more than just a tourist with a camera, this can take you up another level or two.

Or you can just look at the pictures and marvel that it's possible to do those kinds of things with a camera...

I read a ton of photography books. This is one of the best in the last several decades. Great personal stories and filled with incredibly useful information that's boiled down to useful little nuggets rather than running on for page after page of dribble.

As a professional photographer I only expect a single "aha" from any book I read. This had dozens! I'm so impressed I may attend one of his workshops.

Inspiring!

Joe is one of my favorite photographers.In this book you are able to go into Joe's mindset when he shot the image. But not only that, but he shares with you what he learned as a photographer as well as a human being.

I love his philosophy on lighting and flash... he uses whatever light is available... be it flash or available light. Joe is very practical, down to earth and honest. Great Book!

It is formated into short two pages chapters, with charts, definition of terms, and the image itself. So it is an easy and enjoyable read,

I read it in a couple of days. It's really interesting to see how he managed to pull out those images in those situations.
I strongly suggest it to any one that is interested in photography, both in the human and in the technical side of it.
Well done

I loved this book! Couldn't put it down. Very inspirational. I thought about sharing it with a photographer friend of mine, but I'm afraid he might keep it. I want to go back to it regularly, so he'll have to get his own copy. I recommend this book to anyone interested in photography.