The Moment It Clicks: Photography Secrets from One of the World's Top Shooters

This 📖 should open your 👀 to all your possibilities.

Joe is a great teacher. Open, honest, with an encyclopedic knowledge of the art, and the craft of photography. Joe is a problem solver who builds photographs brick by brick. Studying everything, engage his subject, using all his tools, it is like watching someone put a puzzle together. His new book combines a great selection of images, with his anecdotal stories, and technical descriptions of how they were made. Joe has balanced the book, carefully selecting every image to cover a wide range of situations, to help fellow photographers through the "peeks and valleys" of freelance photography. He has thirty years of experience shooting in over fifty countries to glean from. Working for Life, National Geographic, Sports Illustrated, and lots of Fortune 500 companies. In "Joe talk", the lessons include: "Basic human interaction trumps everything; Zoom with your feet; Shoot it now; The most important asset is your attitude". There are lots more clearly presented. Buy the book for it's great photographs, because you want to learn about being a photographer, or being a parent. To learn about lighting, and what to pack in your camera bag. To learn a few tricks, or about light. Learn how to shoot what you love, to convey what you want to say in a photo. A great book by a great photographer at the top of his game.

In a world filled with digi-cams behind every latte cup and legions of enthusiasts who upload their latest masterpieces to Flickr every night, `The Moment It Clicks' is a huge blast of fresh air. Joe McNally is a photographer's photographer who, fortunately for us, has taken the time to candidly share the most important insights gained during three decades as a professional shooter. Every spread in the book is a mini-course, both technically and aesthetically, on the creation of an amazing photograph. More importantly, `The Moment It Clicks' reaches well beyond the genre of how-to books. It's a book on what its like to BE a photographer. I've no doubt that 20 years from now, the new captains of the photography world will look back and point to the `The Moment It Clicks' as being the turning point when they started down the path of becoming great photographers. Consider `The Moment It Clicks' to be a must-have - regardless of your skill level. If you are an armchair enthusiast who reads more than he shoots, you'll be entertained with Joe's stories from the front lines. If you are a student contemplating a life in our profession, you'll gain more insights from this book than from any teacher (unless, of course, you're lucky enough to get into one of Joe's workshops). If you are a professional, set aside your cynicism and buy the book. Joe's candid stories will re-kindle your creative fire and help bolster your courage in this challenging market. Many books, magazines, and DVDs can teach you how to compose, light and expose. You may even have a gear bag full of the latest equipment that's worth more than most cars on the road. Yet, having the right gear and knowing how to turn it on does not make you a good photographer any more than having the right golf clubs will get you into the PGA Tour. But reading the right book, this book, will give you wisdom well beyond your years. It certainly did for me.

If you're like me, your bookshelf, nightstand, coffee table as well as your desk, and probably your floor are strewn with photography books (if you have a passion for something, you'll pay to learn more). Some good, and some, well, not so good. Rare is the book that has value cover to cover. Most have some nuggets here or there and for the most part, we feel pretty good about our purchase decision when we can cull 2 or 3 of those nuggets for our own use. Then Joe wrote "The Moment it Clicks" which has a nugget ON EVERY PAGE! Trust me, if you were listening to Joe speak, you'd pay $20 for 1 or 2 of those gems. Incredible. You just can't past the second page without being BLOWN AWAY! By the 20th page, this had become my all time favorite book on the subject of photography. Yes, it is that good. That said, take a look for yourself. Or go out to Joe McNally's website (it is his name). Talk about gifted! If I can take 1 shot in the next six months that even approach's Joe's stuff, I'll be absolutely thrilled. So if you want to get better as a shutterbug, then gift this book to yourself. And in short order, you'll be as blown away as the rest of us... what are you waiting for... Just One Click "The Moment it Clicks".

If I could choose a career in Photography, it would be the one Joe McNally has had. And since my Photography is more for creative purposes and an adjunct to my 3D work, rather than the primary part of my work, I feel that I can live vicariously through Joe thanks to "The Moment It Clicks." When I first heard about this book, I was excited because Joe's work is outstanding, if not iconic. For Joe to do a book on his career, you can really get a sense of what drives him, what motivates him, and soon you get a complete understanding of how he got the shot. What I particularly like is that he discusses, in straight talk, the situation behind various images. Imagine sitting down with Joe McNally, looking through his portfolio, and asking him about the shot. Everything from using a fill flash, to making your pictures "shout", to finding your way into a lunch with the head of Disney, simply to get the shot you want. When I started writing books for 3D animation, people often asked me why I would do such a thing. How could I "give away my secrets." I told them that it's just software instruction, technique, and tips. I can't teach anyone to be a 3D artist, but only how to use their software and help guide them. So when I started reading Joe's book, I thought to myself "how can he give us all this valuable information..." Suddenly I caught myself. I realized that I was asking the same question people had asked me. Joe can't teach you to be an photographic artist. But it's his insight, experience, and outlook that can help you see better, and perhaps, become a better photographer - if you allow it. This book is a welcomed addition to the arsenal of photo books on the market that continually talk about the same thing. Exposure, perspective, types of lighting, etc. Only a few books come along that you can refer to time and time again, once you know the basics. Joe's book is one of those books and it will remain on my bookshelf for years to come. I'm so glad I signed up for Moose Peterson's Digital Landscape Photography Workshop next fall, as Joe is one of the instructors!