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

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

4.08 of 5 stars 4.08 · rating details · 593 ratings · 70 reviews

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 la...more 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."
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Paperback, 256 pages

Published January 1st 2008 by New Riders Publishing

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Dec 21, 2008 Rebecca rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: photographers

Shelves: photography-books

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 si...more

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Jul 15, 2009 Sarah rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: crafty, memoir, non-fiction

Popped over to my local library's website to reserve this title and discovered it was available as an e-book. Excellent: I read this on my laptop with my camera beside me, fiddling with the settings and taking test shots as I read.

Though intended for the more advanced photographer, I still found this an entertaining and informative read. I have a point-and-shoot, albeit a very adjustable one, but am only an advanced beginner. McNally's specialty is lighting portraits in subtle and innovative way...more

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Mar 22, 2013 Richard rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is a great how-to book as well as a beautiful selection of random photographs from a well-known photographer. Joe McNally has been producing photographs for the likes of "Sports Illustrated" and "National Geographic" for some time. Like many professionals, he no doubt is often asked to share his expertise with others, and he responds here with his descriptions of the background of photo projects, while clearly showing the technical and creative processes of getting publishable pictures. He...more This is a great how-to book as well as a beautiful selection of random photographs from a well-known photographer. Joe McNally has been producing photographs for the likes of "Sports Illustrated" and "National Geographic" for some time. Like many professionals, he no doubt is often asked to share his expertise with others, and he responds here with his descriptions of the background of photo projects, while clearly showing the technical and creative processes of getting publishable pictures. He constantly provides his expertise to participants in workshops and viewers of photo tutorials. "The Moment it Clicks" was his first attempt to put his personable style into book form, and it succeeds admirably.

An aspect of the book which appeals to me is being able to enjoy the photos and Joe's accompanying dialog as you would experience in having a casual conversation with him, while being able to slow down and digest the technical aspects that I want to learn more about. Beyond the descriptions of lighting and camera settings, however, is the constant reminder of what a photographer does. As McNally explains early in the book (p. xv) good photographs come from a photographer who enjoys actually shooting pictures, getting repeated feedback from the sound of the shutter that there is a process happening in which "the shot" is the goal. When that process works properly, a picture extracted from a frozen moment in a changing world results in something of value which contains an element that will be otherwise gone forever.

McNally's appeal is his ability to boil down the picture shooting process to obtaining the result of the photographer's desire. It doesn't matter what the motive is for taking the picture, whether for commerce or for emotional attachment to the subject of the photo. In the end, everyone using a camera to capture a moment important to them knows the happy feeling of knowing they got what they wanted through the lens. No serious attempt to capture images is accidental in McNally's world. He shows how being a photographer is a problem-solving process, in which a photographer's knowledge and competence with the equipment used for a photo shoot are constantly adapted as situations change.

Lighting of course is at the foundation of all picture shooting, and McNally's reputation is built on his ability to improve any photo location shoot with lighting technique. He is a master of all kinds photographic lighting, especially strobes. "The Moment it Clicks" contains examples of photographs taken with some very extensive lighting equipment, but the bulk of the examples offer inspiration through the use of speed lights. McNally has a long working history with Nikon equipment and he uses the Nikon line of lights, but his lessons are transferable to any brand of electronic lighting.

Joe McNally wisely gets the theoretical photographic basis out of the way early in the book to let the reader bask in depth, page after page, in outstanding images. If this book leaves you wanting more of the same, there is the follow-up "The Hot Shoe Diaries", New Riders press, 2009, in which the author answers readers of "The Moment it Clicks" who asked for more detailed information on how and where the lighting was set up for each photograph. There's even an invaluable illustrated tutorial at the end of that book in which McNally, wearing a gorilla suit, !, demonstrates the workings of Nikon speed lights.

Who knows what Joe McNally will publish next, but I'll join a long line of expectant readers whenever that occurs.

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Apr 29, 2008 Joshua rated it 5 of 5 stars

Fantastic and powerful read. Page after page of approachable information about great photos and how they were gotten -- which turns out to be (duh!) as much philosophy and personal skills as lighting and ISO. It transformed the way I look at my camera and the opportunities I will create behind and in front of it.

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Mar 28, 2008 Andie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: photography

Learning the stories behind the photographs always makes me enjoy the image more. The book takes you there...also it give great advice to photographers (new and old....some of us forget and need reminders!)

Joe McNally reminds you photography is hard work but a lot of fun too!

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Jan 20, 2009 Vicster rated it 5 of 5 stars

Joe McNally makes great photography accessible to aspiring professional photographers (or serious amateurs).

Every page is filled with great anecdotes of a successful career, as well as a paragraph or two of "how I did it" to accompany the photographs. For all of the times I've looked at a great image and figured it was far too complicated for me to imitate (armed with just my camera and, when I'm lucky, an external flash unit), McNally shows that it can be done AND that it can be done without n...more

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Apr 19, 2010 Wendelius rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: photography

It's a fun book from a professional photographer about the things he's learned over years of freelance work.

There are some practical tips, lots of anecdotes and stories accompanying cool shots (and he explains how he got them) and often explanations on how he lit the shots. The latter part, while irrelevant to me as I don't plan to get studio equipment and softboxes and so on, didn't detract from an overall enjoyable read.

The most interesting aspect of it is the "look at one more shot and read...more

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Apr 29, 2012 Sharada Prasad CS rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is a book for for people who can invest a lot of money on photography. I am giving three stars as this book does not describe many techniques which involve very few or less expensive accessories. Also, I am interested more in street photography/candid photography. There weren't as many techniques related to that!

But the photographs and techniques listed in the book are stunning! An excellent book if you are considering photography as a profession or if you have too much money to buy accesso...more

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Aug 22, 2011 Kerry rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: everything, non-fiction

I could sum this review up in three words. Seriously cool book!!!! Joe McNally's The Moment It Clicks is the best photography book I have ever read and is one of the best books on any subject that I have ever read.

The book features tons of incredible pictures, many of which you will recognize from magazines. For each shot, McNally shares the story behind it and the lesson he learned from it. You get to see the creative process behind his work, both the times when inspiration and circumstance al...more

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Aug 06, 2008 Jeremy rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Photographers

Joe McNally is one of my favorite photographers. He’s shot covers for National Geographic, Newsweek, Time and Life Magazine. Though you may not recognize the name, I’m sure you’ve seen some of his photographs. He famously took the world’s largest polaroid camera to Ground Zero and took photographs of many people involved in 9/11(Click on Special Projects). One of my favorites is the picture he took of a lightbulb being changed at the top of the Empire State Building.

The Moment It Clicks is descr...more Joe McNally is one of my favorite photographers. He’s shot covers for National Geographic, Newsweek, Time and Life Magazine. Though you may not recognize the name, I’m sure you’ve seen some of his photographs. He famously took the world’s largest polaroid camera to Ground Zero and took photographs of many people involved in 9/11(Click on Special Projects). One of my favorites is the picture he took of a lightbulb being changed at the top of the Empire State Building.

The Moment It Clicks is described as a book that shows you how Joe McNally created some of the amazing shot. So I thought I was getting diagrams and lists of equipment used and way I could try to re-create the techniques he used. I was dissapointed to find that it’s nothing like that. The book is great, but I guess my expectations were a little too high.

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Instead the book takes a small idea that seems simple, and runs with it. In seminars, McNally is know for throwing things out like “be a pest”, “bring a chainsaw” and ‘put the light in an unusual place”. So he took all these and made them into chapters. He talk about a tree not looking right for a shot, so he made adjustment to it with a chainsaw. Each small story is accompanies by the photo so you can get an idea why something was difficult, and what he had to do to accomplish it.

Some of the stories are pretty amazing, he’ll do almost anything to get a good photograph. Each problem that he’s confronted with is shown, along with the solution that he was eventually able to come up with. Each one involves ways to use light, how to get into difficult position and how to help the person you’re photographing do what you want them to. Some of the solutions are so simple that you would easily be able to add them to photographs you take every day (like hanging a white bedsheet over a window that has sunlight pouring in to create a huge lightbox)

He seems to know how to do everything, it’s very inspirational as someone that’s trying to become a better photographer. So even though the book wasn’t what I was expecting, it’s a great book to learn from and get inspired by.(less)

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Feb 07, 2008 Billrogers rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Photographers

Recommended to Billrogers by: www.strobist.com

Shelves: photography

I recommend The Moment It Clicks to serious amateur photographers and to professional shooters. It is an excellent first effort for Joe McNally. Nevertheless, it does have several flaws.

Scott Kelby is listed as the Editor of this book, and his fingerprints are all over it. If you are familiar with Kelby's books on Adobe® Photoshop®, you will instantly recognize his influence on the layout of this book.

The Moment It Clicks is divided into four chapters, but these chapter divisions are mostly irr...more I recommend The Moment It Clicks to serious amateur photographers and to professional shooters. It is an excellent first effort for Joe McNally. Nevertheless, it does have several flaws.

Scott Kelby is listed as the Editor of this book, and his fingerprints are all over it. If you are familiar with Kelby's books on Adobe® Photoshop®, you will instantly recognize his influence on the layout of this book.

The Moment It Clicks is divided into four chapters, but these chapter divisions are mostly irrelevant. The book is really organized around two-page topical presentations which, in my opinion, for adult learners, are superior to traditional chapter divisions. An typical two-page "mini-chapter" is entitled Put The Light In An Unusual Place, wherein McNally briefly describes his experience while shooting Larry Tisch in Tisch's limo, includes the photo, and concludes with a summary of how he lighted the photo.

This organizational structure is Kelby's biggest contribution to this book. McNally's ideas, suggestions, and reminiscences are well-expressed in this structure, making The Moment It Clicks a worthwhile addition to a photographic library.

However, I detect Scott Kelby's bizarre sense of humor and sloppy editing in this book. I'm sure I'll be accused of nit-picking; after all, Kelby's books are best-sellers, so who am I to criticize his writing?

Near the front of the book is a page titled "Da Premise." I'm sorry, but I don't get the joke. Nothing else on the page is written in pseudo-ebonics, so why is the title expressed this way? This type of humor is vintage Kelby.

There are several editing oversights. For instance, in the mini-chapter on Ken Kesey, McNally refers to a "tai stick." The correct term is "Thai stick," so called because it was developed in Thailand. McNally overworks the phrase "I kid you not" by including it at least three times in the text, finishing with "I shit you not." Finally, in a book aimed at an adult audience, is it really necessary to spell minor obscenities using punctuation marks, such as @$$ for ass?

It's simple - Joe McNally is a perfectionist about his photographs. I'm a perfectionist about writing. If McNally is a typical photographer, he can't spell "cat" if you spot him the 'k' and the 'a'. That's what editors are for.(less)

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Mar 29, 2009 Allisonperkel rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: photography, non-fiction

I'm torn about this book - the photos are good and the descriptions of the thought process behind the works can be enlightening however there is a certain shallowness to the descriptions that leaves me wanting more than just the few tips sandwiched between the stories.

If you already know to look round, take in the details and know that the small stuff matters this book is a good review. If you don't know to do that, this book will help reinforce the message

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Dec 16, 2011 Bader rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: photography

Nice photos to been seen, a man with a successful career, and beneficial backstage stories to be shared are the things that make this book a have-to-read book for all people in the world of photography.

إضافة للصور الجميلة التي تستحق المشاهدة, فإن كون الرجل القائم على الكتاب رجل ناجح في عمله كمصور, واحتواء الكتاب على قصص مفيدة لما يحدث خلف الستار يجعل من الكتاب من الكتب الواجب قراءتها لمن هو في عالم التصوير الفوتوغرافي.
النسخة العربية منه متواجدة حاليًا وأنصح بها لكل من لايجيد اللغة أما من يتحدث و...more

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Mar 05, 2011 Stephanie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: nonfiction

I had mixed feelings about this book. If you're looking for tips on how to take better photos (as the title seemed to imply it would be), you'll like be sorely disappointed. (The "secrets" are things like "Then I climbed to the top of the Empire State Building, used a magenta filter and a strobe flash!") However, if you're looking for a coffee table book of some great photos with a bit of commentary on each, you will likely be pleasantly surprised.

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Dec 26, 2008 Elizabeth rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: photography, 2008, favorites

I got this for Christmas from my husband and read the entire thing that day. Joe McNally is a master and this book is one of my favorite photography books so far. I know that I'll read this over and over again, picking different sections to focus on, etc. I really appreciate that Joe provides a story behind some of his most famous photographs. I also love that he tells us how the photos were made focusing on specific lighting techniques.

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Feb 01, 2010 Kylie rated it 3 of 5 stars

This book was a little more for the professional photographer than the amateur. The book is mostly about lighting and how to create light that looks natural with artificial light. I use mostly available light (I'm a total amateur and just can't afford softboxes, umbrellas and the like). I did enjoy reading about how he created the looks and the photos are lovely to look at, but because of the focus on lighting with artificial lighting, it's not the best photography book for me.

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Nov 17, 2012 Maryanne Gobble rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book has a great layout and was enjoyable to read. Technically speaking, I didn't find it overly helpful as I don't use lighting equipment and most images in the book were lit with flash, ect...

The lengths he went to get the images were inspiring. I finished the book with renewed belief that tenacity and hard work really do pay off in the end.

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Jun 15, 2009 Mark rated it 4 of 5 stars

A fun book by one of the top professionals in the business, Joe McNally. It's a review of lots of different shots with personal comments about what can be learned from the different experiences. Not really a "How To" book, but interesting, nonetheless, especially for this amateur photographer.

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Feb 10, 2012 Darren Smith rated it 5 of 5 stars

A McNally classic. It brings all of his wit, insight and experience to bare in highlighting that 'moment it clicks'. I for one, found many 'aha' moments where the penny dropped, and I understood what needed to get done, what I wasn't doing, and what I needed to think about. Brilliant.

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Apr 29, 2009 Cynthia rated it 5 of 5 stars

For someone who is trying to think outside the box in regards to portrait photography, this is a fabulous book. Plus, Joe is a wonderful writer--he doesn't seem to have a serious bone in his body! Which makes for very fun reading, at the same time you are learning a lot.

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Apr 07, 2009 Leone rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: photography

I was a little disappointed in this book. I had expected it to be more instructive. It is a collection of wonderful photos and anecdotes that are very entertaining. If you approach the book as that it is very successful, but I believe there are other more instructive books on various techniques in photography.

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Aug 06, 2011 Ian Kloester rated it 4 of 5 stars

Concise. Funny. And real. No bull****, just the realities of working pro and the on the spot solutions and discoveries that come from necessity and a willingness to be a pain in the a*** to get the job done. Joe's a real pro.

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Oct 11, 2010 Luke Burrage rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction

Amazing stories and tips about how Joe McNally created some amazing images. I don't think I've seen such a great meeting point between a coffee table photo book and a how-to guide.

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May 12, 2010 Joyleen rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010

A fun photography book with lots of good tips and pointers. The technical and lighting stuff was way over my head, but I still enjoyed McNally's photos, humor, and composition tips.

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Jan 31, 2011 Miguel Ángel Vilela rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Every photographer on Earth

Recommended to Miguel Ángel by: A photo-savvy colleague

Shelves: photography, favorites

Lovely, probably the most enjoyable book about photography (and life!) I've ever read. Don't expect to find a photography course here, you'll find very good tips, but you need a strong background to understand some of them. However, Joe's advise about life is universal and spot on.

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Mar 07, 2010 Russell rated it 4 of 5 stars

A very narrative approach to telling the story of how a wide variety of wonderful photos came about. Very conversational while maintaining alot of interesting information.

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Nov 06, 2009 Bradley rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: photography, non-fiction

One of the better photography coffee table books, I like how he describes how he took the pictures and some of the opportunities and challenges he had to work with.

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Jun 22, 2009 Anthony rated it 4 of 5 stars

Joe knows! He's been there and done that and now he shares the stories. Not a comprehensive how-to but great little insights in Joe's entertaining and irreverent style.

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Aug 09, 2011 Rick Austin added it

From one of the most entertaining and educational photographers out there. Great stories and sure to tickle your fancy while you learn something.

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Sep 07, 2010 Joe rated it 3 of 5 stars

Less of a 'how-to' book, more of a 'how-to-think-about-taking-photos' book. Good anecdotes and thoughts about lighting... horrible design/layout though. Where did that cover come from? Gross.

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About Joe McNally

An accomplished and widely-respected photographer, Joe McNally got his start as a newspaper photographer in New York, eventually becoming a staff photographer for Time magazine and a frequent contributor to National Geographic, Sports Illustrated, and numerous other publications.

Particularly noted for his portraits, McNally teaches numerous workshops throughout the year.

See McNally's own website o...more

More about Joe McNally...

Books by Joe McNally

The Hot Shoe Diaries: Big Light from Small Flashes (Voices That Matter)

Sketching Light: An Illustrated Tour of the Possibilities of Flash

LIFE Guide to Digital Photography: Everything You Need to Shoot Like the Pros

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Quotes from The Moment It Clicks: ...

“No matter how much crap you gotta plow through to stay alive as a photographer, no matter how many bad assignments, bad days, bad clients, snotty subjects, obnoxious handlers, wigged-out art directors, technical disasters, failures of the mind, body, and will, all the shouldas, couldas, and wouldas that befuddle our brains and creep into our dreams, always remember to make room to shoot what you love. It’s the only way to keep your heart beating as a photographer.” — 40 people liked it

“Don’t pack up your camera until you’ve left the location.” — 18 people liked it

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