Another great book by Joe McNally, The Moment It Clicks is not limited to talking about techniques but tells more of Joe’s attitude as a photographer. His methods of getting the shot that makes a difference is always new and, need I say it, inspiring.

He discusses his mode of operation, which seems to vary with every photographic assignment, for a series of images. One of the great ones, especially from a non-conventional point of view, is where Joe McNally talks about how he needed to photograph a shot for a story of Asian Americans in Hollywood. He contacted an Asian American Stunt Actress and thought it would be a great idea to shoot her as exactly that, a Stunt Actress. He proposed to her agent to fly both himself (Joe) and the actress by helicopter, over the Hollywood sign and photograph her hanging on her helicopter over the world famous Hollywood sign. Joe’s quote stuck: „Her people said no, she said yes”.

Each editorial photograph or coverphotograph tells a unique and inspiring story. The most important message that bleeds through all of his great work is that you always need to take a fresh perspective, be inventive and be ready. There are several memorable National Geographic shots in the book that he talks about in a very entertaining and anecdotal way.

This is a book that has no trouble serving both as a great coffe-table book as well as an information guide that discusses photographic topics in a clear no nonsense Joe McNally way.

Tags: joe mcnally, photography