Since photography is such an important part for me as a visual designer I can only heartily recommend this book by Joe McNally. The Hot Shoe Diaries: Big Light from Small Flashes shows how you can create great images by not lugging along tons of flash equipment by by bringing a collection of small flash units that can be tucked away in almost every conceivable corner.

McNally’s book is written in a very accessible style that does not bombard you with jargon. It makes you want to rush out and try every photographic technique he discusses.

In a series of real world photographic assignments he explains how he has solved the problem of lighting his subjects with his arsenal of Nikon based small flashes like the Nikon SB 800, the SB 900 and some smaller flashes. For me one of his master shots in this book is undoubtedly the project with the two fishermen at a harbor location where he has stuffed dozens of small flashes into corners and on poles to literally paint this scene with light.

This book, as its name implies, is all about shooting images with the use of flash photography.

Tags: photography, joe mcnally