The Moment it Clicks by Joe McNally
I was just surfing through Amazon’s best selling book list and noticed a new digital photography book was in the top 20.
It’s called “The Moment It Clicks: Photography secrets from one of the world’s top shooters” (Joe McNally).
I’m yet to see a copy (I just ordered one) but it’s certainly ranking well in terms of sales and is an interesting concept. Here’s how they’re promoting it:
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.”
As someone who loves learning from the images of others this certainly has my mouth watering and I’m looking forward to getting my copy. The Moment It Clicks has a recommended retail price of over $50 but is currently just over $30 on Amazon.
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Strobist gave it a good review, too:
http://strobist.blogspot.com/2008/02/joe-mcnally-moment-it-clicks-verdict.html
/me wants one
I just wanted to point your readers to a source for some free books (legally). Not that I want to discount all the great books out there at Amazon and similar places. I love to read, but if you look at my blog (primitive as it is…I am reading your tips on ProBlogger to help me improve)one of the things I thrive on is finding a deal or something for nothing (although there is no such thing as a free lunch).
Anyways, there is a site I came across called wowio.com which allows you to download up to 3 books per day with a maximum of 30 per month. You have to have an email account through an ‘owned’ domain (hotmail or yahoo won’t work). I have an email through my other website accountinghelpdesk.com and that worked for the site.
Anyways, they have a category “Arts and Photography” and in that category there are about 20 books pertaining to photography.
I have gotten emails from readers on my blog where they weren’t able to use the site because they weren’t in the USA. I understand you’re based in Australia, I’d be curious as to whether you can use it.
Love the work you do on the web!
John
Scott Kelby suggests everyone to read this book as well in his new book. Digital Photography Book Volume 2.
This is an amazing book. I read Kelby’s too and while it was an awesome book, if I had to choose just one, it would The Moment it Clicks. It’s worth the $33 (at Amazon). I also did a brief review here:
http://professionalsnapshots.com/blog/?p=81
I am reading it now. It’s fabulous!
I am reading it now and it is worth every penny.
The title is inaccurate, the book is called “The Moment it Clicks” and not “The Moment That Clicks”
I was so amazed to see a book of this nature on the amazon best seller list that I bought it right up . . . I knew nothing about it except that I had to see what all the fuss was about. I’m expecting it yesterday. . . no typo. . . things just take forever to get to Hawaii. I’m glad to see it’s gotten such great reviews!
Yeah Scott Kelby can’t stop talking about it, and the first edition of it has already sold out and it’s now in it’s second printing! Definitely ordering a copy for myself.
I have also heard great things about this book.
In response to John J.’s comment, I can confirm that Australian’s can’t access the http://www.wowio.com website (though there looked to be some interesting books!).
I look forward to your comments on this book (the only reviews I have seen are from people that know McNally so think they might [?] be biased).
An excellent book. I am halfway through it and already I’d recommend it to any photographer.
Dear John. J,
Thank for your post. As per your instruction I went to the site http://www.wowio.com for the search of the books. But unfortunately I found that it is not for anybody outside the USA. I am an Indian Citizen & having the reading habit. But this sites are not for our help. Would you please be kind enough to help your friend in India to reach the treasure you find out.
Practically I am a book worm and don’t have enough money to purchase all these books.
Hope you will give me some suggestions to solve the problem. If possible you may send me the books on Photography by E-mail. thanks again for your nice and valuable suggesstion.
For all the guys that can’t access that website: probably there is some IP filtering along the way, so try using a proxy instead of connecting directly there. I’m from Romania, so I can’t get there either.
Or, as an alternative, there are e-mail providers that can set you up an address with .mil or .gov domain name, which would also help bypass the security triggers. Go a google search, maybe I’ll come back with more.
Hope this doesn’t infringe DPS policies or anything :)
Have to comment again, because my copy arrived today. I am so stoked about this book that I CANNOT put it down. For every passionate photographer out there this book is an absolute MUST HAVE (I didn’t say, must read. . . I said must HAVE because you’re going to want to read it over and over again and then once more for good measure. . . I am in love).
Alex, Thanks for your suggesstion. I shall try to google & also waiting for your more info regarding the matter, provided if there is no restrictions from DPS.
Thank you again for your gesture.
sorry to dissapoint. I couldn’t find any good USA proxy, most of them filter scripts and other important page elements, thus rendering the website unusable.
going the e-mail route, there is no free e-mail provider to let you choose an address with .mil or .gov in it. of course, prices for a “custom” address are sometimes as low as $1, so if you feel you really want to visit that website, I guess this is the only way: sign up for a custom e-mail.
peace.
I just got the booked yesterday. It is worth every cent. I wish I wasn’t at work right now so I could be reading it.
So far I have read about ten pictures. I sometimes have to wipe off tears because of the beauty of the images and the story behind them… This book is truly inspirational, and it also gives away some technical info about the shots.