Joe McNally Photography

The website and blog of Joe McNally

Subscribe to Blog

Sign-up to receive Joe's Posts by email


Newsletter

Sign-up to receive email updates

  • Hidden
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Starting Off, Looking Back

91 Comments

2012. Twenty years ago, at this time I was headlong into shooting my first cover story for the National Geographic. Lots of clicks downstream from that now, to be sure. (Most of them, blessedly and appropriately, remain unseen. So many bad frames in pursuit of the few worth spending time with.)  And changes. Man, is that an understatement. High res digital cameras have replaced film cameras. Hard drives store pictures, not little yellow boxes. Kodak’s stopped making carousel projectors. Photographers go to the magazine far less often, given digital transmission. Ties and jackets are seen less frequently.

But, the main mission, over time, has remained. Tell a good story in pictures. The major components–photographer, picture editor, designer, magazine editor–are all still in place, and the interplay among them is ongoing and largely unchanged.

This video looped on a continuous basis in Explorer’s Hall at the headquarters of Geographic for many years, and was seen by lots school groups, tourists and visitors. Geographic graciously gave us permission to put it on the blog. It’s a fun interior look at how the magazine puts a story together, if you can stand the time warp and the truly embarrassing haircut I had back then.

Here’s the funny thing about persistence. Bill Douthitt and I are still at it. We start another story in a couple of weeks. Like unruly children, we refuse to pipe down or go away. Bill continues to shape coverages as only he can, and his warped brilliance remains a lifeline when things don’t go well in the field, as is often the case. (He won a Picture Editor of the Year award for his efforts on the sight story. And in the video, he actually appears rational.)  The upper echelon of magazine management is all different now, of course. Bill Marr art directs the look of the book. And the shop is run by a photographer, Chris Johns, which is appropriate, given the pictorial bent of the magazine. As a shooter, in the field, he turned a two lane strip of pavement into one my favorite stories ever published in the magazine–The Hard Ride of Route 93.

The people change, but the pictures remain. I look forward to shooting some more of them in 2012.

More tk….

Comments

  1. Darren Elias says

    That was incredible to watch. Thanks for sharing it.

    How does it make you feel, Joe, when you watch this 20 year leap into your past and what had to be an amazing sense of pressure and accomplishment?

  4. cedric pittman says

    Thanks Joe, that was my first look inside the sausage machine. Interesting process, i really enjoyed seeing that. and of course your look almost stole every seen… Nice!

  5. Chris Deakin says

    Enjoyed the video. I won’t make any comment on the haircut, we’ve all had “unique” cuts at some point. It’s the mustache I’m having a hard time with.

    Funny how quickly you get used to new things. It looked very odd not to see anything on the camera back. It looks like camera was missing something.

    Having been born and raised on slide film I do miss it.

    Thanks for more insight.

  6. Kyle Jerichow says

    It’s not the hair that you should have been concerned about, Joe…..its the mustache!

    (My dad had one just like it…though I still cannot grow one to save my life)

    All the best,
    Kyle

  7. Frank says

    My God that is impressive! I’ve never seen a more bitchin’ mustache. The photography aspect of this video is pretty cool as well. I’m going to dig my copy out of the closet and have you autograph it someday.

  8. Kitty says

    That was very interesting. The amount of work and thought behind a final story surtaxes for granted by many viewers. The cover image was stunning.
    Thank you for sharing.

  11. Don Carrick says

    Joe,
    Thanks so much for posting this on your blog. As a map researcher at the Geographic I knew Bill, Connie and Alan… was even lucky enough to sit in on a few picture reviews. Came up to PA to work for Baldwin Hardware in 1995 and have lost touch with most of those guys. Great to see them again. Thanks, Don

    PS: FlashBus Tour was a lot of fun. Saw you in Philly.

  13. Glenn Orion says

    Glad to see you still working with the same tenacity and passion all these years later! If I could be even just a tenth as driven as you, I could die happy.

    Not that I’m in a rush, though.

    Thanks for being an inspiration, Joe! Happy New Year.

  15. Andreas says

    I did enjoy watching the video a lot. It is incredible what an amount of work is put in one story. I am impressed.

    On hairy side: did not really recognize you until you started talking 🙂

    Andreas

  16. Marty Fox says

    Fascinating video, I can see why they chose to loop it for the public. I have to say that the haircut and the stache’ didn’t seem as funny to me as that suit. Very Fantasy Island lol. Look forward to sitting in on your lighting stuff at PSW in D.C. Great post as always.

  17. Patrik Lindgren says

    Well dont worry about the hair, i think it´s the mustache that is stealing all the attention here. 🙂

    Seriously though, i think it´s very fascinating that one can publish a story over 40 pages, that is not especially common nowadays. But every other magazine is not the National Geographic. 🙂
    Very cool to be there and be engaged from start to finish, that is not that common in my field of work. Sometimes the time between the pictures is taken and put to print is incredibly short. That´s the way these days and that´s the way i´m used to.

    Thank you for sharing, as always, interesting material.

  18. Anibal J Morillo says

    I’ve just finished enjoying your book on my iPad, which is where I found your blog address. Your book was a major lot of fun, I consider myself a serious amateur photog. Most of the stuff I already knew about, but you are not only an outstanding photographer but a very knowledgeable and entertaining teacher that really knows its way with words. Great book for almost any level of previous knowledge or interest in photography, shaky you very much. I know of no other way to thank you but to share some of my pictures. I am a radiologist, so I work with images each and every day in my life, which, for the photographer in me, is a fun way to make a living!
    (I write in spanish, but the images are in the universal language you call light).

    Any time please check my blog: http://www.ajmorillo.blogspot.com

    A preview in which I tried to play with light and windows and a polarizer:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHWgCDf5Lvs

    Best Regards,

    Anibal

  19. MaryT says

    Thanks for sharing that Joe! I really enjoyed seeing that! What jumped out at me (aside from your “look” which is as much changed as mine lol) was the reinforcement of my long held feeling that it is the emotion of a picture that makes it. I always strive for that, enduring the technical aspects as best I can – and am so grateful for all the great teachers (like you!) who help me there.

    My best and a Happy New Year to you and yours!

  20. Skip Barber says

    Joe,
    Thanks for sharing the video. It was interesting to learn how the process went 20 years ago. Please tell us how it has changed today, since you are still telling your story through words and photos.
    Skip

  21. Don France says

    Joe,
    Thanks for sharing the video — great view into the behind the scenes at Nat Geo and what it takes to get those stories in the book!
    I think the video also answers the question — whatever happened to Moose Peterson’s long lost brother?

  23. Alan MacRae says

    Joe, great video! Thank you for sharing with us all. How cool to have Matt Damon play your part in the opening section! Happy New Year to you and Annie!

  24. Karen B says

    Enjoyed this video immensely. The interplay among all of you “major components” along with the time and dedication in telling one complete story as it came to life was excellent. Such a great share….thanks!

  25. Frank Burch says

    It’s easy to see why you continue to shoot for National Geographic. Being part of such an amazing process, and bringing these wonderful stories to so many readers, has to be as fulfilling a mission as any photographer could embrace. Oh, and you rock in that khaki safari photo vest!

  28. James Bong says

    Great video! Many thanks to Nat Geo for letting you show it.

    With that haircut and mustache, you look like a young William H. Macy crossed with a little Matt Damon.

    Thanks again for all your wonderful blogs.

  29. Roger de la Harpe says

    Hi Joe. Wow! Brought back memories of another time. Slides! The thing that got to me though was the suits. I don’t even own one these days…!

    Had the wonderful privilege of working with Chris some years ago. I don’t think that he realised it but he taught me more about photography than anyone else, before or since. Please say hi when next you speak to him.

    Roger

  30. Glyn Dewis says

    Wonderful video and ‘look back’ Joe. Strange how watching it, it took me a moment to remember that you weren’t shooting digital and that it was when you said about ‘not feeling it’ it hit home that you were shooting film.

    Wonderful insight,
    Thanks for sharing,
    Glyn

  33. Bob says

    1200 rolls of film…1200 rolls of film…over 40,000 images…

    boiled down like a reduction sauce to 40 images.

    awesome Joe!

  35. Craig Beyers says

    I’m fascinated that you–the photographer–were the primary presenter during the story presentations to the editorial staff. I’d thought the photo editor might do that as the lead or the writer might do it as the author. The teamwork in assembling the story–especially the role of the layout editor–is impressive and explains why NatGeo has been such a powerful magazine. Thanks for the back-room insight on how it’s done; appreciated.

  36. Sara Lando says

    When it comes to you I always get this sense of craft and passion and hard work and building stuff one block at the time.
    It’s balance and lack of ego and team work (stress on “work”) and in a world of “you’re going to become a great photographer in a weekend” workshops, this is at the same time frustrating to hear and much needed.

    (P.S. Epic ‘stache)

  37. Ivan Boden says

    What a great clip! (not the haircut, the movie). I remember those days (I’m a graphic designer) well. Saddens me to see these great magazines and big budgets disappear.

  38. Mike hesley says

    Thanks for sharing that video! Lots of work! More… Lots of fun! You work well inside a photographic system! Your legacy will be as an inspiration for a few generations of photogs. Have you read the book “Outliers?” Thanks Joe!

    You look like a bad-ass! But, then again, we all looked great 20 years ago!

  39. John A. says

    Thanks for sharing this! Awesome look in to the behind the scenes. I was really amazed at how much input you had in the selection process. I always thought it was more of a hand off to editors then they do the work sort of thing.

    It was really cool seeing all of your photos too, there was a lot of moving images there and I especially love the photo of the single eye.

    ..oh, glad you ditched the ‘stache too. 😉

  40. Arturo S. Ramirez says

    I really enjoyed that video and seeing what happens behind the scene.

    Thanks so much for sharing it.

    I ordered your new book last week and am eagerly awaiting it.

  41. Bill Trudo says

    Just a fascinating piece of video, the time warp was just as interesting as the feature itself. I remember this time of my life very well, I had just gotten married a few months before. It brings home how much has changed, and what can happen in a decade or two. How many memory cards would you need today, and would you need to shoot as much? I’ve seen worse haircuts, but at least you still have most of your hair, unlike me!

  42. Sid Hastings says

    Thanks for posting this video, always nice to see another really nice production by former NGS video producer Doug Paynter. And nice to be reminded how a place with a commitment to telling stories with photos approaches the process. Things might change with the march of technology, but the key is great images shot and selected to tell the story.

  44. Libby says

    Joe you look like some bad parallel universe version of Jimmy Olson 😉 The video is great and even after 20 years, so much can be learned here. Enjoying your book. You have a great New Year!

  45. Sam Cumberbatch says

    What a way to start 2012, excellent video. You not only took us back to the film days but you give us great insight into the ‘behind the scene’ of you as a photographer, the editors and publishers of Nat Geo magazine. Great respect to you Joe!

    Thanks for sharing.

    Sam

  48. Bruce Norman says

    Joe-

    Fantastic look back at the process of putting a Geographic story together. We all looked a little different when we “wore a younger man’s clothes”. I’ve enjoyed seeing your images, reading your stories, and learning from you over the years.

    Bruce

  49. Anthony C says

    Dude, don’t worry about that haircut AT ALL. You looked like a tough Marine!

    Great video.

  52. Bryan says

    look’n good Joe. how 20 years makes a difference to the process and just how much remains the same hay? i enjoyed the story and seeing the process, thanks for sharing and all the very best for 2012

  53. Tom says

    I don’t know. The voice is familiar…..

    I remember 20 years ago, photographers in London would conduct all assignments dressed in good suits. I have a photograph of myself in the middle of a riot, dripping from head to toe in paint someone had thrown, otherwise still looking immaculate.

  54. Rich Cave says

    Film, brings back memories,

    shot an airshow with the F5, remembering changing film 36 times during the course of the event, nothing better than reviewing all those negs on return.

    Digital is easier for confirmation but I miss sitting at the table of death with a picture editor. Just wiring it in is not the same, and you develop faster as a tog when you have to face the dreaded editor.

    The video shows how much of a collabrative process it should be, with the net that collabration has become impersonal and lost. I remember some quite heated debates on images going through. I miss that.

    Thanks for sharing, and as for the haircut and tasche, no mention of Boogie Nights will leave my lips, woops!

  57. MikeScott says

    Thanks, Joe. But enquiring minds want to know – what’s the theme of the story you’re about to start shooting?

  58. James says

    Who knew that Andy Richter was an editor at NG in a former life. That’s a great video. Very Interesting to see how it works – more interaction than I would have realized.

  59. Kenneth Barney says

    Thanks Joe for sharing! I grew up in the 60’s and 70’s waiting for the next issue of NatGeo, though my father never tripped a shutter, he was always amazed at the beautiful photos found in those pages and as a young boy the magazine was my way of discovering the world and the more i discovered the more i wanted to photograph it! To this day I can’t wait to get my next issue and see where the photographer will take me.

  60. Mitch Alcala says

    Thank you for sharing Joe, me being a young photographer it’s just great to see how it was once done. Also, really think you should grow out the mustache again… that was pure style.

  61. David K says

    Joe and a ‘tie’. WOW, times they are a changing. What a wonderful exposure to the behind the scene environment in the mag world, especially from the best in the business. Thank you and NatGeo for sharing.
    Happy New Year.

  63. Gordon Schmidt says

    That was William H. Macy, wasn’t it?

    Fascinating behind the scenes view of one of my favorite magazines. 1,200 rolls of film, 40 pages, 80 shots. What an epic project! That’s a lot of little yellow boxes! Thanks for sharing this Joe. Always love your work.

    Happy New Year!

  64. Ron Hiner says

    Thanks for sharing Joe! The tie and the haircut (and that beautifully tailored jacket) are long gone, but the story still stands strong to this day. Work like yours and Bill’s are the very reason people keep shelves and shelves of Geographic for years – and even generations.

  65. Blaise says

    Wow – fantastic.
    This video really hit me. First seeing you 20 years younger – time flies… Then the enormous amount of work that goes into a NG story – mind boggling. The frustration of having your stories and photos cut down. The effort required to convince everyone of the quality of your photos. The teamwork.

    This is a whole new area of photography. Do things still work like this in our blog world, where it’s shoot, quick select and post?

  67. Mark says

    Really enjoyed the video! I’ve heard you speak in person, and here you look and sound a lot like Matt Damon for some reason heh.

  68. LoriW says

    You rock, Joe! (The video makes me want to go out and create.) It’s wonderful to see talented individuals working together on a project.

  70. Nate Parker says

    Awesome! But so funny for the styles and fashions, HA! I had one of those haircuts too, and those dumb striped shirts and the suits, man, so many bad looks. And so many amazing images and an amazing organization, thanks for the inside look!

  71. Huong Bui says

    Joe
    Your article says that you have more pictures taken that are kept rather than seen. Maybe you think that they are not worth to be published.
    I am a hobby photographer using a Nex system. Sometimes I publish on flickr what I think is a “great” picture and no one comments on it. Other times I publish a “lousy” picture and a lot of people comment on how great a shot it was.
    Sometimes I just don’t get it. Maybe I have a different take on what is a “great” shot.

    Have you ever have not same situation?

  72. John says

    Amazing how far we have come in 20 years. Most of the really important things remain the same.

  73. vincent says

    it takes awesome pictures like Joe.
    it talks like Joe.
    it sounds like Joe.
    it looks like J. Jonah Jameson, editor-in-chief of the Daily Bugle in the Spiderman comics. 😉

    thanks, much enjoyed the video!

  76. Jeb says

    I would love to see a video of the same process today. Those sessions held in the dark, staring at a projection — it reminded me of film executives watching dailies. Does a version of that still occur?

  77. Aaron @ Become A Photographer says

    That was definitely a look back in time. Hard to believe that was only 20 years ago. But it was very cool getting to see you out there doing your thing.

    Glad you were allowed to share this video with us!
    Take care, Aaron

  78. Ron Gergely says

    That’s before I got into photography Joe. (Although I’m old enough to remember 20 years ago.) It was interesting to say the least how the analog work flow was done from shooting to publishing. Not to mention a cool time piece!

    You are without a doubt one of my photo heroes.

    Ron Gergely

  79. René says

    Excellent video Joe! Thanks for sharing… and Matt Damon won the McNally look-a-like contest! Incredible the similarity!

  80. Steve E Miller says

    Joe, wow, what a wonderful video! I loved the way that you, your photo editor, your designer, your editor all worked together in such concert!
    Also love the ‘stache 🙂

    Cheers and thank you!

    *steve

  81. Aaron Babcock says

    Joe

    Thanks for posting this. I remember this cover and the story. I was really getting going in photographer as a senior in high school and I remember looking at this issue countless times. Funny, how I even recognize the illustrations. What a great trip down memory lane. It’s a testament to a great career. You’re fortunate to have these reminders. Thanks for sharing with us.

    Aaron

  82. Brian says

    I couldn’t help but notice at the end when you say “I’m happy”, you don’t sound happy at all. You sound like you’re trying to convince yourself you should be happy–40 pages is more than any other magazine would allow, etc. I would guess you were looking forward to having more creative control.

  83. Lashon Liljenquist says

    Oh my goodness! an incredible article dude. Thank you However I’m experiencing issue with ur rss . Don’t know why Unable to subscribe to it. Is there anyone getting similar rss problem? Anybody who is aware of kindly respond. Thnkx

  85. SCHMEGGA says

    Great video. One thing I figured out during the video is that it sure helps to have the name Bill if you want a job at Geographic! Allen, Marr, Douthitt, & Graves!

Trackbacks

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Latest News from Joe

Climbing the World’s Tallest Building!

Time flies. Roughly ten years ago, I climbed the Burj Khalifa, the tallest structure in […]

Game Over at Sports Illustrated

Legend has it that Heinz Kluetmeier donned scuba gear and dove into the Olympic pool […]

An Irish Workshop Adventure in May!

Ireland is one of the most welcoming places on earth, not just for a greeting, […]

View all News

Upcoming Events

Ellis Island 1-Day Workshop (3 Spots Left!)
Greece – Oct 5-12 & Oct 13-20, 2024
Day of the Dead -San Miguel De Allende
The Amazon Safari – 2025
Dance in Cuba – 2025
Vietnam – 2025
Storytelling in Sicily May 2025
Tuscany October 2025
View all Events

Follow Joe on Instagram

joe mcnally

joemcnallyphoto

1,335

Professional Photographer. Director. Author. Nikon USA Ambassador.

joemcnallyphoto

View

Sep 7

Open
The ever striking muse @nwilmshurstx locks onto the camera. Classic beauty combo of an overhead light with a low fill. No background light, as she is only about eight feet in front of one of the @manfrottoimaginemore collapsible backdrops, which are super handy when using someone’s living room as a location - which is the case here! Over-under light, and add a lovely subject! Natalie is currently a highlighted performer at the @royalpalacekirrwiller in Kirrwiller, France. Looks like a spectacular show! #saturdaymorning #picoftheday #portraitphotography #nikonambassador #nikonpro #nikond850

The ever striking muse @nwilmshurstx locks onto the camera. Classic beauty combo of an overhead light with a low fill. No background light, as she is only about eight feet in front of one of the @manfrottoimaginemore collapsible backdrops, which are super handy when using someone’s living room as a location - which is the case here! Over-under light, and add a lovely subject! Natalie is currently a highlighted performer at the @royalpalacekirrwiller in Kirrwiller, France. Looks like a spectacular show!

#saturdaymorning #picoftheday #portraitphotography #nikonambassador #nikonpro #nikond850 ...

344 7

joemcnallyphoto

View

Sep 5

Open
One small light through a window! A Speedlight, as a matter fact. Remember those? Handy, versatile, and highly evolved. The one flash is gelled CTO and placed out in the parking lot. I actually triggered it line of sight, so this pic is definitely from the old school of technology. Wonderful model, carefully placed so the striped highlights through the blinds hit across her eyes. Rest of the photo is just available pool hall light, with some assistance from a smoke machine. Shot with the Nikon D3X, which was a heckuva good camera, and aperture priority with underexposure dialed into the camera. The flash has no diffusion and is zoomed tight to retain the edge and hardness of the light. So much fun to play with light at a location like this! #throwbackthursday #thursdayvibes #thursdaythoughts #portraitphotography #picoftheday #nikonambassador #nikonpro #nikond3x

One small light through a window! A Speedlight, as a matter fact. Remember those? Handy, versatile, and highly evolved. The one flash is gelled CTO and placed out in the parking lot. I actually triggered it line of sight, so this pic is definitely from the old school of technology. Wonderful model, carefully placed so the striped highlights through the blinds hit across her eyes. Rest of the photo is just available pool hall light, with some assistance from a smoke machine. Shot with the Nikon D3X, which was a heckuva good camera, and aperture priority with underexposure dialed into the camera. The flash has no diffusion and is zoomed tight to retain the edge and hardness of the light. So much fun to play with light at a location like this!

#throwbackthursday #thursdayvibes #thursdaythoughts #portraitphotography #picoftheday #nikonambassador #nikonpro #nikond3x ...

2349 54

joemcnallyphoto

View

Sep 2

Open
The Labor Day Weekend symbolizes the end of the summer, and our yearly, necessary, honorable celebration of work. On this Labor Day, I remember going underground with some of the hardest working folks I’ve ever been privileged to point a lens at—the legendary NY Sandhogs. I’ve always been compelled to photograph labor. Work. Always been curious about how things are built, or the intricacies of major industry. Hence my propensity over time to climb things, or go under the ground with my cameras. The camera stands in service to hard work and knowledge, and I’ve loved the times I’ve been allowed behind the scenes—in a mine, in an operating theater, in tunnels, or massive manufacturing plants. Sweat and striving. The drama of heavy industry. The camera honors and defines the nobility of work be it backbreaking labor accompanied by the din of heavy machinery, or delicate, intuitive, tension-laden moves of a scalpel inside the chest of a patient. Work compels us, support us, frustrates us, rewards us, defines us. For many, the job becomes almost inseparable from the person. So it is with the Sandhogs you see here. They build astonishing structures far below the earth’s surface which flow water into New York. Without their work, the city couldn’t exist. It was a story I responded to, and remember on this day. #Laborday #photojournalism #NYC #storytelling

The Labor Day Weekend symbolizes the end of the summer, and our yearly, necessary, honorable celebration of work. On this Labor Day, I remember going underground with some of the hardest working folks I’ve ever been privileged to point a lens at—the legendary NY Sandhogs. I’ve always been compelled to photograph labor. Work. Always been curious about how things are built, or the intricacies of major industry. Hence my propensity over time to climb things, or go under the ground with my cameras. The camera stands in service to hard work and knowledge, and I’ve loved the times I’ve been allowed behind the scenes—in a mine, in an operating theater, in tunnels, or massive manufacturing plants. Sweat and striving. The drama of heavy industry.

The camera honors and defines the nobility of work be it backbreaking labor accompanied by the din of heavy machinery, or delicate, intuitive, tension-laden moves of a scalpel inside the chest of a patient. Work compels us, support us, frustrates us, rewards us, defines us. For many, the job becomes almost inseparable from the person.

So it is with the Sandhogs you see here. They build astonishing structures far below the earth’s surface which flow water into New York. Without their work, the city couldn’t exist. It was a story I responded to, and remember on this day.

#Laborday #photojournalism #NYC #storytelling ...

594 12

joemcnallyphoto

View

Aug 31

Open
Wide open sharpness intensifies the eyes. Once again, an over/under style of light not only suits the lovely face of Cassie, a beautiful Hawaiian dancer I have worked with, it illuminates the eyes. The under component is essential, given the floral decorations in her hair. That is provided by the Westcott Eyelighter 3, with a Profoto overhead umbrella with a diffuser. All overhead light would produce shadowing. But this lighting twosome and her resolute beauty looking at the camera demands the attention of the viewer. It’s like that old game we played as kids, “Made you look!” This style of light does make you look. Nikkor 85mm lens wide open at f/1.8. Compact lens, handy to carry and crazy sharp. #saturdaymorning #hawaii #portraitphotography #picoftheday #beauty #nikonpro #nikonambassador #nikonz7 @nikonusa

Wide open sharpness intensifies the eyes. Once again, an over/under style of light not only suits the lovely face of Cassie, a beautiful Hawaiian dancer I have worked with, it illuminates the eyes. The under component is essential, given the floral decorations in her hair. That is provided by the Westcott Eyelighter 3, with a Profoto overhead umbrella with a diffuser. All overhead light would produce shadowing. But this lighting twosome and her resolute beauty looking at the camera demands the attention of the viewer. It’s like that old game we played as kids, “Made you look!” This style of light does make you look. Nikkor 85mm lens wide open at
f/1.8. Compact lens, handy to carry and crazy sharp.

#saturdaymorning #hawaii #portraitphotography #picoftheday #beauty #nikonpro #nikonambassador #nikonz7 @nikonusa ...

3110 58

joemcnallyphoto

View

Aug 28

Open
The startling beautiful Monteece locks eyes with the camera. A veteran Vegas performer, she has an amazing array of skills, from gymnastics to dance, to acting. I’ve always found inspiration amongst the group of performers and friends I’ve worked with over the years in Vegas. The physical grace and strength demanded of them to be in these shows nightly is extraordinary, as is the discipline. Shot with over/under lighting and the square format on the Nikon Z 7. One of the primary benefits (for me) of all the accelerated mirrorless technology is the ease of use of square format. Don’t forget to experiment with different formats! I find the square connects to a historical continuum of portrait tradition, and has a formalism to it. (Also, you don’t have to turn the camera for a vertical😉) And our talent’s gesture inhabits this particular square wonderfully. Production excellence from the one and only Lynn DelMastro and gorgeous styling by Sam Brown. #wednesdaywisdom #picoftheday #portraitphotography #nikonambassador #nikonpro #nikonz7 @monteecetaylor - talent @northorchard - production @samanthabrownstyle - styling @nikonusa

The startling beautiful Monteece locks eyes with the camera. A veteran Vegas performer, she has an amazing array of skills, from gymnastics to dance, to acting. I’ve always found inspiration amongst the group of performers and friends I’ve worked with over the years in Vegas. The physical grace and strength demanded of them to be in these shows nightly is extraordinary, as is the discipline. Shot with over/under lighting and the square format on the Nikon Z 7. One of the primary benefits (for me) of all the accelerated mirrorless technology is the ease of use of square format. Don’t forget to experiment with different formats! I find the square connects to a historical continuum of portrait tradition, and has a formalism to it. (Also, you don’t have to turn the camera for a vertical😉) And our talent’s gesture inhabits this particular square wonderfully. Production excellence from the one and only Lynn DelMastro and gorgeous styling by Sam Brown.
#wednesdaywisdom #picoftheday #portraitphotography #nikonambassador #nikonpro #nikonz7

@monteecetaylor - talent
@northorchard - production
@samanthabrownstyle - styling
@nikonusa ...

1164 18

joemcnallyphoto

View

Aug 24

Open
Hard light, amazing eyes. And transformative HMU by @clairepiao. The wondrous @dlimathais graces the lens with a look that holds attention. Available hard light, working outside on a deck in Los Angeles, with my dear friend @bertonevisuals - who has a marvelous studio area. Camera rig is the Nikon Z 7, partnered with the astonishing optic, the NIKKOR Z 58mm F/0.95 S, wide open at .95. Fastest lens I’ve ever used. Sharpness is unreal, and DOF falls off a cliff. Perfect for a hard light look! #saturdaymorning #picoftheday fashionphotography #nikonambassador #nikonpro @nikonusa #nikonz7

Hard light, amazing eyes. And transformative HMU by @clairepiao. The wondrous @dlimathais graces the lens with a look that holds attention. Available hard light, working outside on a deck in Los Angeles, with my dear friend @bertonevisuals - who has a marvelous studio area.

Camera rig is the Nikon Z 7, partnered with the astonishing optic, the NIKKOR Z 58mm F/0.95 S, wide open at .95. Fastest lens I’ve ever used. Sharpness is unreal, and DOF falls off a cliff. Perfect for a hard light look!

#saturdaymorning #picoftheday fashionphotography #nikonambassador #nikonpro @nikonusa #nikonz7 ...

1773 27

joemcnallyphoto

View

Aug 19

Open
World Photography Day is described as a day for “photographers to share their world with the world.” In short, to witness, which is what we do. The beautiful necessity of being a photographer is that you have to go. You have to go and see. Many writers and reporters, nowadays especially, do a lot of their work on the phone, or the internet. But photographers have to go there, camera in hand, and see for ourselves. And then once observed and recorded, share it with the world. A slice of time, as innocuously lovely as a sunset, or a family gathering, as momentous as an earthquake or an Olympics, or as deadly and forbidding as a war zone. It can be a fanciful bit of our imagination, or as steely and shrill as a political protest. We witness. The compulsion to document the world around us is as compelling and necessary to photographers as breathing. I did a lot of work for LIFE, and the motto of the magazine rings true to this day, even though the publication is no longer. “To see the world, things dangerous to come to, to see behind walls, to draw closer, to find each other, and to feel, that is the purpose of life.” The sound of the shutter is still thrilling to me. Still a sense of wonder at the camera. Seventy countries and counting. Sharing this roll call of pictures, in association with the @monroegallery, with whom I have a strong relationship nearly twenty years long. They are astounding folks, shepherding historically important imagery to be shared, to be seen, and thus to move those who do see it. They understand clearly the overarching value of important photography. Pictures are our history, our memory, our sense of ourselves. #worldphotographyday @monroegallery #photography

World Photography Day is described as a day for “photographers to share their world with the world.” In short, to witness, which is what we do. The beautiful necessity of being a photographer is that you have to go. You have to go and see. Many writers and reporters, nowadays especially, do a lot of their work on the phone, or the internet.

But photographers have to go there, camera in hand, and see for ourselves. And then once observed and recorded, share it with the world. A slice of time, as innocuously lovely as a sunset, or a family gathering, as momentous as an earthquake or an Olympics, or as deadly and forbidding as a war zone. It can be a fanciful bit of our imagination, or as steely and shrill as a political protest.

We witness. The compulsion to document the world around us is as compelling and necessary to photographers as breathing. I did a lot of work for LIFE, and the motto of the magazine rings true to this day, even though the publication is no longer. “To see the world, things dangerous to come to, to see behind walls, to draw closer, to find each other, and to feel, that is the purpose of life.”

The sound of the shutter is still thrilling to me. Still a sense of wonder at the camera. Seventy countries and counting. Sharing this roll call of pictures, in association with the @monroegallery, with whom I have a strong relationship nearly twenty years long. They are astounding folks, shepherding historically important imagery to be shared, to be seen, and thus to move those who do see it. They understand clearly the overarching value of important photography.

Pictures are our history, our memory, our sense of ourselves.
#worldphotographyday @monroegallery #photography ...

1111 47

joemcnallyphoto

View

Aug 17

Open
Beautiful light on the river! Sometimes, the sun is with you, and the colors of the scene mesh in ways you hope for, but never completely expect. (I mean being a photog, you have to always assume disaster and rain clouds are in your immediate future.😀) But here, on the Schuylkill River near Philly, color, light and gesture came together. Great assignment! Long lens, hold steady from a chase boat. #saturdaymorning #summertime #sunsetphotography #picoftheday #NikonAmbassador #Nikonpro #NikonD4S @nikonusa

Beautiful light on the river! Sometimes, the sun is with you, and the colors of the scene mesh in ways you hope for, but never completely expect. (I mean being a photog, you have to always assume disaster and rain clouds are in your immediate future.😀) But here, on the Schuylkill River near Philly, color, light and gesture came together. Great assignment! Long lens, hold steady from a chase boat.

#saturdaymorning #summertime #sunsetphotography #picoftheday #NikonAmbassador #Nikonpro #NikonD4S @nikonusa ...

1371 9

Supporters