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Editorial Review:
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."
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0
Learning photography from a different perspective
I was very interested in purchasing this book several months ago until I read some of the reviews. People slammed the book because Joe talked about the expensive equipment he used, which was out of their price range, and he didn't provide much technical detail about the photos. Therefore, the book was not very helpful. I've only read the first 32 pages. However, as I read some of the stories, it clicked to me what Joe was actually trying to convey and I wanted to write about it. I believe those... more info
This book is brilliant
There is a once popular self help guru whose philosophy was, in part, that to be successful at something you needed only to internalize the understanding of someone who is already successful at that thing. (This is sometimes misunderstood as needing to copy any and all actions of that person which explains why millions of people brush their teeth with the end of a stick but, I digress). This book takes you into the mind of a very talented photographer. It helps you develop an understanding of why... more info
This book gives very little "how to"
If you are looking for a poor quality yet overpriced(32.95) paperback photo book for the coffee table this book is for you. The author's photo's are good and his personal stories are nice but there is no meat here for anyone seeking to learn more about photography. I bought the book for a Christmas present and now will have no present and wasted time ordering and repackaging and returning. Thank goodness Amazon has a return policy.
Not useful at all for amateur photographers
First of all, his review is from an aspiring amateur photographer who never intends to be a pro. So, if you are a pro, you may ignore this review. The pictures in the book are awesome. That's for sure. However, they are like, pictures from a helicopter, pictures from on top of New York skyscraper construction, pro-football cheer leaders' locker room, etc... and then the author explains shortly how to get this type of shot. And for most of the shots in this book, the author says that he used assistants for... more info
