The Hot Shoe Diaries: Big Light from Small Flashes |  | Author: Joe McNally
Brand: Peachpit Press
Category: Book
List Price: $39.99
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Rating:  184 reviews
Sales Rank: 3491
Media: Paperback
Edition: 1 Original
Pages: 320
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 2
Dimensions (in): 9.1 x 8 x 0.8
MPN: 0321580141
ISBN: 0321580141
Dewey Decimal Number: 778.72
EAN: 9780321580146
ASIN: 0321580141
Publication Date: March 13, 2009
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
After spending more than thirty years behind the lens - working for National Geographic, Time, Life and Sports Illustrated - Joe McNally knows about light. He knows how to talk about it, shape it, color it, control it and direct it. Most importantly, he knows how to create it using small hot shoe flashes.In The Hot Shoe Diaries, Joe brings you behind the scenes to candidly share his lighting solutions for a ton of great images. Using Nikon Speedlights, Joe lets you in on his uncensored thought process-often funny, sometimes serious, always fascinating-to demonstrate how he makes his pictures with these small flashes. Whether he's photographing a gymnast on the Great Wall, an alligator in a swamp, or a fire truck careening through Times Square, Joe uses these flashes to create great light that makes his pictures sing.
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 184
 The Gateway To Understanding Flash Photography March 18, 2009
Syl Arena (Paso Robles, California)
144 out of 158 found this review helpful
SPOILER:
'Hot Shoe Diaries' is pure McNally and the best book I've ever read on flash photography. Two words: "buy it."
LONG VERSION:
Joe McNally's photo secrets were kicked out of the closet by the skeletons a long time ago. That's great news for those of us who have become infatuated (and infuriated) with the use of small flash units. Joe's latest book 'The Hot Shoe Diaries' is an exposé that tells all. There's never been a book on flash photography that covers the subject so thoroughly, so beautifully and so humorously. I'm certain that 'HSD' will reign as the undisputed champion on flash photography for a long time.
The first thing to know about 'HSD' is that even Joe has a hard time taking himself seriously. Joe repeatedly demonstrates his understanding of where he stands in the universe by filling 'HSD' with memorable photos - such as the self-portrait where he uses a chicken as a lightstand. Joe's humor is what sets 'HSD' apart from other photo books. It is what protects us from mind-numbing concepts, such as the "Inverse Square Law" (when did Congress pass that one anyway?).
Joe starts with the basics: gear, the fundamentals of digital photography and simple flash. He moves on to talk about one light shots. And two light shots. And lots-a-lights shots. He talks about where to put the lights and what to put between the lights and the subject. He shares a lifetime of stories. He inspires and encourages. Like I said, "pure McNally."
As with his first book, 'The Moment It Clicks', Joe fills the covers of 'HSD' with amazing and beautiful photos. These are the heart of 'HSD.' It's one thing to talk about flash photography. It's entirely another to demonstrate it again and again with stunning images. [Thanks also to the book designer who ran a good number of photos as double-trucks, aka: two-page spreads.]
'HSD' is for photographers of all levels - novice to expert. If you read 'Clicks' and were among the few disappointed because it wasn't a "how-to" book with lighting diagrams and such, 'HSD' is the book you were looking for. Plan on reading it again and again. I guarantee that every time you do, you'll pick up something new.
SPECIAL NOTE To Non-Nikon Shooters - 'HSD' Is Non-Denominational
It's no secret that Joe is a Nikon guy. Nikon terminology is used throughout the book. If you shoot something other than Nikon, think of it like an American talking to a Brit [if "elevator" = "lift", then "Auto FP" = "High-Speed Sync" and "Rear Curtain" = "2nd Curtain"]. Does this mean that 'HSD' is Nikon-specific? Absolutely not. As a lifelong Canon shooter, I've no hesitation in recommending this book to shooters of all denominations. The ideas and illustrations are universal.
An Amazing Master Course in Flash Photography March 23, 2009
Donald T. Lupo (Marina del Rey, CA)
35 out of 39 found this review helpful
I have been following Joe McNally via the Nikon DVDs featuring him and his incredible work. If you ever wanted to look right into the mind of this photographic genius and see how he thinks in regard to portable flash, this is the book for you.
In 25 years of photography both as a professional freelancer and full-time photographer, I have never learned as much in one sitting as I have from Joe McNally's new book. He goes in-depth and answers every question you could possibly have and then goes way beyond into exquisite (never boring) detail.
I have been a fan and follower of the Strobist techniques and have longed for a clear, detailed explanation of the concepts in one place. This book does that and then delivers far more.
The cost of this book is worth more than any course you could take: it is a master course with a true master. If you love photography and want to learn how to make portable flash your main light source, buy this book today. I am so happy I did.
A note to HSD skeptics March 23, 2009
D. Hobby (USA)
42 out of 49 found this review helpful
Any time I see everyone giving something five stars with out a normal distribution of ratings, my internal alarms go off. I mean seriously, c'mon, right?
Wrong. The book is that good. Good enough to where I feel generationally slighted that I did not have a book like this when I was 20 years old and starting out as a photographer.
This is subject-specific, photographer-to-photographer teaching in its purest form. Hooray for Hot Shoe Diaries.
Buy it. Nothing to think about here March 25, 2009
Matting Csanad
12 out of 15 found this review helpful
I am a Canon shooter, and also read some "pre-reviews" (if there is such a thing at all) saying that the book is Nikon specific with foreboding. IT IS NOT! It is Nikon specific to the extent that Joe shoots Nikon. The rest is plain photography stuff, that you can do (sometimes with some workaround) with any other sophisticated small flash system.
The book is sooo good and full of info, ideas, great shots, that once you finished you start reading over again (this is what i have been doing) cause you just can't take in all at the first read.
it is very inspirational and entertaining. even my girlfriend knowing nothing about flashes read some of the book because she likes Joe's writing style and the pictures .. and frankly, whats not to like?
this is a book with priceless pieces of information, great photographs, humor and drama ... and you are still here reading this reveiw instead of running and buying it... are you NUTS?
This is a MUST have book! November 17, 2009
Joseph Allocco (New Jersey, USA)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Firstly, quite a few of the reviews I've read here, seem to be from people who are looking for a magic bullet in regards to their own photography. If you've been shooting for awhile, or forever, you know that there IS NO MAGIC BULLET. There's standard formula, and the rest is all trial and error. So to those people that have knocked this book, and commented that Joe McNally has strictly written this book to boost sales of Nikon gear...then you're all missing the mark, and probably shouldn't own a camera.
I've not been into the "strobist" scene very long, perhaps a little over a year. I like the freedom of shooting wirelessly in a studio, in a kitchen, or outdoors on location. Even if you do not own many of the light modifiers that Joe speaks about, and uses regularly for his work, this book is full of "real life" on location setups and remedies to many of the works he's produced and shared here in the book.
The brass tacks of equipment IS Nikon centric, but that's what Joe uses. Why would he write about Canon or Pentax systems if he uses Nikon? I personally use Canon cameras, and remotely fire Vivitar 285HV flashes, where power is manually dialed in on the flash itself, using cheap Japanese FM transmitters. I've personally found mountains of useful info from this book. Things I may have stumbled on myself after dozens and dozens of shoots going forward. Buying and reading this book has lowered that bar, and I've already used several tips with great results. You don't need to use Nikon's CLS system to gain any useful info here.
Joe writes in layman's terms, is quite funny, self derpicating, humble, and very REAL in his approach. If you're a reader of his blog, you already are aware of this. There's fistfuls of his humor in the book, and mountains of info, if you're actually READING and not just sifting through the awesome pictures. If you're looking for some mathematical magic formula ( not only here but in any photography book ) I assure you, it's not here. And if you approach photography in that manner, you'll forever be searching, and not getting any enjoyment or return from the craft. IF you're not one of those types, then there is surely something for every level of photographer here. I'm sure I will reach for this book time and time again moving forward. This is one of those items I'd be sure to grab if my house was ever on fire.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 184
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