# joe mcnally talks about the D4



## wickidwombat (Jan 7, 2012)

This guy is my hero

talking about playing with the D4 prototypes

http://www.joemcnally.com/blog/


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## smirkypants (Jan 7, 2012)

Those are some pretty amazing photos in there... the dynamic range is almost HDRish. Beautiful.


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## wickidwombat (Jan 7, 2012)

like i said the man is a genius with light

i've bought most of his books well worth reading for anyone interested in flash only problem he only references nikon stuff so you have to research a bit to get canon equivalent for what he talks about but the fundamentals translate the same


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## smirkypants (Jan 7, 2012)

wickidwombat said:


> like i said the man is a genius with light


I bought three more speedlites after reading The Hot Shoe Diaries. Great Book.


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## briansquibb (Jan 8, 2012)

smirkypants said:


> wickidwombat said:
> 
> 
> > like i said the man is a genius with light
> ...



I wonder sometimes how much Nikon paid him to jump ship ....

_*An aside:*_ I read Joe McNally's book but bought "The Speedliters Handbook" by Syl Arena - which is all about Canon Speedlights. It was lots of example pictures of 'what happens when I change this'. Great for me as I am not interested in technical insights, just what parameters I need to set to achieve the shot I am after.


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## wickidwombat (Jan 8, 2012)

he has a new book out called sketching light i just got my pre-order, I find his writing style amusing so reading his stuff isnt like an instruction manual, this sketching light has detailed lighting setup diagrams with settings distances and everything its pretty interesting. 

And yeah wouldn't it be nice to have nikon throw all the latest gear at you for free? 
but i think he's worked pretty hard at it his whole life to get where he is, Im glad he shares his knowledge though


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## briansquibb (Jan 8, 2012)

wickidwombat said:


> he has a new book out called sketching light i just got my pre-order, I find his writing style amusing so reading his stuff isnt like an instruction manual, this sketching light has detailed lighting setup diagrams with settings distances and everything its pretty interesting.
> 
> And yeah wouldn't it be nice to have nikon throw all the latest gear at you for free?
> but i think he's worked pretty hard at it his whole life to get where he is, Im glad he shares his knowledge though



Top people usually get to where they are from 95% hard work and 5% talent. It is the talent that makes the difference as anyone can work hard. To get to the top you need both - and Joe McNally is a good example


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## cfargo (Jan 8, 2012)

I have been in a workshop with Joe. Not only does he work hard and is talented beyond belief, he is a nice guy. If you get a chance to take a workshop with him, don't pass it up.


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## wickidwombat (Jan 8, 2012)

cfargo said:


> I have been in a workshop with Joe. Not only does he work hard and is talented beyond belief, he is a nice guy. If you get a chance to take a workshop with him, don't pass it up.


 oh dont worry i wouldn't. How much was the workshop by the way?


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## Orion (Jan 9, 2012)

he may be a "genious" with light, but he is still using basic lighting technique to achieve great results. . . I don;t understadn why HIS images with multiple lighting setups or single strobe setups should warrant HIM being called a genious/master of light. Seems to me, that there are MANy such masters out there. . . . ANy of you here could be such a 'master.' 

accenting and complimenting the available light is key . . all you need do is test your shots and settings and adjust. 

After enough time, it becomes second nature because you REMEMBER the ambiance/lighting of your current location/setting, and your cmera has already become part of your limbs. . . you remember the light and the numbers and ratios, and you can then expereiment more and deviate from the norm. You don't need tohave multiple assistants, and tablets and people standing around holding papers pretending to be worth something to the final image, etc. . . .


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## smirkypants (Jan 9, 2012)

He is a genius because so many of his photos make you stop and say "man, I suck." I'm an extremely tough critic and will rip most photos to shreds, either in terms of composition or execution, if I'm asked to be completely honest. His are almost always flawless, at least to my taste, on both counts.

It's not just the quality of his light, but rather the way he sets up his scenes and the way he works with themes. There is correctly lit and then there is interestingly lit and he is very creative. He does all the little things that add just a little bit of pop.

His only serious shortcoming is his feeble-minded allegiance to Nikon.


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## wickidwombat (Jan 9, 2012)

smirkypants said:


> He is a genius because so many of his photos make you stop and say "man, I suck." I'm an extremely tough critic and will rip most photos to shreds, either in terms of composition or execution, if I'm asked to be completely honest. His are almost always flawless, at least to my taste, on both counts.
> 
> It's not just the quality of his light, but rather the way he sets up his scenes and the way he works with themes. There is correctly lit and then there is interestingly lit and he is very creative. He does all the little things that add just a little bit of pop.
> 
> His only serious shortcoming is his feeble-minded allegiance to Nikon.



If they gave me that much gear i would be their feeble minded biatch too! :-[


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## MazV-L (Jan 9, 2012)

I agree, Joe McNally does have talent and alot of experience. And that all important thing: money! Anyone hazard a guess at the average cost of setting up one of his shoots? How much to hire an elephant for example? 
Part of his success is he will spare no expense to get "The Shot".


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## Orion (Jan 9, 2012)

. . . . all this is funny becasue McNally, for one of his shoots, reflected a strobe off a side of a white truck that happened to be there.. . . mastering light means manipulating light, and it can be very advanced, and also very simple. No master . . . no genious . . all you do is work with light, and the `genious` lies in the final image image. . . that what all those buttons on the back of your strobes are for . .to manipulate light 

You are all masters of light if you take it seriously . . it`s just that many of us here do not have the funds to have a person holding our spare camera, etc (not a knock at McNally). . . but with my Paull C Buff Einsteins setup, I can now fund my imagination. That`s what it`s all about.


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## Mt Spokane Photography (Jan 9, 2012)

Those who can, DO. Those who can't criticise. It seems to hold true for most endeavors. 

BTW I'm not immune, I do it as well..


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## Meh (Jan 9, 2012)

@orion you're right, anyone can be a master of light... generally, light sources, direction, equipment, etc. is a technical issue and is mostly about gaining knowledge and experience. And anyone can be a master of camera gear... again, it's mostly a technical issue that can be learned. But I think most of us will agree that being a master of camera gear does not automatically translate into being a master of photography. In fact, being technically proficient, even a master, at anything does not equate to being in the upper echelon. It's true for athletes, musicians, artists, business. Sometimes, those in the upper echelon of performance are not even technical masters at all... they don't exactly know how they do it. Sometimes, the upper echelon are not even the best, there could be better photographers out there that never made it. In the arts, there is a certain amount of luck in getting your break. We can all look at a Joe McNally photo and think we could get the same shot and maybe that's true. But he did he get that shot, in the field, at that moment, under whatever conditions and limitations were present. He got the subject to emote just so. He got the timing just right. Sure, to get those shots he needed certain gear and assistants that most of us don't have but those things didn't get the shot, they only facilitated getting the shot. Maybe he even got ideas from those people. Maybe one of them made the suggestion that was the key to making the shot great. But it was still Joe McNally who is the photographer running the show. He is a genious. Not because he knows how to bounce light around or press the shutter... because he gets the shots that capture something that can't even really be described and explained. Or maybe he's not a genius, but just a guy who takes photographs that a lot of people like. Anyway, just my two cents.


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## Orion (Jan 9, 2012)

My freind, all he does is set up lights or even ONE SB900 and takes photos. He compliments the light in the room or manipulates the light outside to overpower the sun for a sandy beach shot to underexpose the sky and get it dramatic while using fill flash for the model. . . there is no genious or master of gear or anything else . . you simply set up your lights (or single light with softbox) and fire away multiple exposures until you are happy. 

Give me a sky with some definition, a model, and 2 strobes etc . .and a wide lens and you won;t see a genious that reminds you of McNally or anyone else . . . you will simply see an image that has been shot over and over agin, and it happens to be good. ON sets, McNally takes multiple exposures of any given scene untill he is happy. That's not "genious" . . . that is being a photographer who knows how to manipulate his equipment. . . no equipment, means no master of light. Work with the light you have . . . or don't have.


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## Meh (Jan 9, 2012)

Orion said:


> My freind, all he does is set up lights or even ONE SB900 and takes photos. He compliments the light in the room or manipulates the light outside to overpower the sun for a sandy beach shot to underexpose the sky and get it dramatic while using fill flash for the model. . . there is no genious or master of gear or anything else . . you simply set up your lights (or single light with softbox) and fire away multiple exposures until you are happy.
> 
> Give me a sky with some definition, a model, and 2 strobes etc . .and a wide lens and you won;t see a genious that reminds you of McNally or anyone else . . . you will simply see an image that has been shot over and over agin, and it happens to be good. ON sets, McNally takes multiple exposures of any given scene untill he is happy. That's not "genious" . . . that is being a photographer who knows how to manipulate his equipment. . . no equipment, means no master of light. Work with the light you have . . . or don't have.



I'm not getting your point. Do you just take issue with the use of the word "genius" or are you generally questioning Joe McNally's skill as a photographer?


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## Ryusui (Jan 9, 2012)

I think he wonders why it seems as if Joe McNally is revered in almost god-like form for his photos when anyone is able to do what he does if they know what they're doing and work hard enough.


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## Orion (Jan 10, 2012)

Meh said:


> Orion said:
> 
> 
> > My freind, all he does is set up lights or even ONE SB900 and takes photos. He compliments the light in the room or manipulates the light outside to overpower the sun for a sandy beach shot to underexpose the sky and get it dramatic while using fill flash for the model. . . there is no genious or master of gear or anything else . . you simply set up your lights (or single light with softbox) and fire away multiple exposures until you are happy.
> ...



Well why would I question the obvious  He takes great photos! 

heck no! I'm just saying the truth about light, and how anyone with a strobe or 2 can make the same images, even with little PS post, etc. That is all I am saying. ALso, I don't think peopel should use the term master , especailly "genius" so freely anymore since it is slowly becomming a generic term in this digital age paired with a hungry photogrpaher willing to manipulate light without fear. McNally's photos can be made by thousands of other photgraphers out there . . . maybe millions (?). 

EDIT:

btw, I wonder if McNally will also give his opinion on the 1Dx. . . I don;t know if he is allowed or if he has done so in the past with other Canon pro bodies. If he is not allowed, it is one of the lamest things imaginable. I wuld love his unbiased opinion, after the production model is released.


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## pdirestajr (May 22, 2012)

What impresses me most about him and his work is more of his understanding of light, how to manipulate it & how to quickly adjust on the fly. His books and workshops aren't a "how-to" cookbook on how to get a type of shot, they are more about the philosophy of capturing the light.

The interesting thing is that he uses ETTL (or whatever the Nikon version is), and allows the camera to do a LOT of the guess work. Never saw him or heard him talk much about a light meter. He then "nudges" the camera in the right direction. He makes a strong case for taking full advantage of the latest technology and gear. I see all too many people with huge egos and pride to ever dare admit they use any type of "auto" function on their fancy cameras. Why pay for that all when you shoot RAW on manual mode with manual focus?

He did a tour with David Hobby a few years back that was really great as they have different philosophies and approaches to lighting.


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## dafrank (May 22, 2012)

*Evaluating the work of Joe McNally*

From what I've seen of his work, Joe McNally certainly is both a hard worker, has a good knowledge of technique and has a very fine talent. To succeed in this field, one must do and have ball three. I don't think anyone should discount his abilities and achievements, and I admire him and like his work very much. However, his achievements have been matched or exceeded by many dozens of his contemporaries, some of them very well known, others not. And, yes, there are many people who have matched the same hard work he has been willing to expend and have talent and knowledge equal to or greater than he, who have not become quite as well known because of simple circumstances or sometimes even "luck." Some of the reasons that so many more photographers, non-professionals and professionals alike, have "heard" of Joe are because so much of his work has _allowed_ him name recognition, because he has tried very hard to stay in the public spotlight, and because he has written a lot of "how to" books and articles.

So, let's celebrate his achievements but not over-estimate them as singularly unique.


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