( 66 reviews )
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Posted: Jul 19 2009
This is NOT a paint by numbers book. I'd be very disappointed if it were. This is a book that discusses lighting, and the years of experience behind coming to an understanding of the magic of light. In this book are the recipes for cooking up some good lighting to enhance your photography. Understanding light and lighting doesn't come to you overnight, and this isn't a book to get on the same day you buy your first DSLR. If you've begun to understand the camera basics to control light, and make images, and not just grab shots, this is a great book to further you along your path. Consider it a road map to lead you in the direction of mastering light, and working with lighting equipment. That's what it is. It's still up to the photographer to use what he/she learns and apply it to their work. What clicked for me with this book was the approach to lighting and the thought process going into the various challenges and situations. I also very much appreciated Joe's sharing of his personal experiences. All of us face challenges, and not just with lighting, and Joe provides some inspiration to confront and overcome these challenges. A book that approaches a subject such as light that really makes you think about and start to understand the subject matter is the best you could ask for. This book does just that. Thanks Joe!
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Posted: Jul 13 2009
This is not your typical "How to" book. Thank Goodness! Joe tells you the humorous stories of how he achieved his awesome photos. A fantastic book!
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Posted: Jul 4 2009
This book won't make you a professional, world-class photographer. Let's just say that up front. Watching the NBA won't make you LeBron either, but that doesn't mean you can't learn moves to use at the gym. And that's the point of this book. McNally shows an outstanding shot, and then explains what he was thinking, what he was going through, how he managed to get it. You'll probably never hang from the Empire State Building or get a private audience with James Brown, but you might go on vacation and stand on a ledge or be the only person with a camera at a friend's birthday. The principles turn out to be the same: get your angle, shoot a lot of different ways, look for interesting lighting. No surprise, the images in this book are OUTSTANDING. If you collect photographs, buy it just for those.
