This is a light book but not a lite read (rim shot). Joe McNally is very wordy but not in an off-topic sort of way, in a ‘sit around the campfire’ sort of way. Many of the books I have recently read have been very point A to point B and then includes a short blurb on theory.
Joe takes you on the photography shoot with him. You will hear why he chose this light package over the other options, where he or the situations might have gone wrong and how he adjusted. There are fantastic doodles/sketches with enough detail to satisfy the tech-minded crowds as well. “What settings are you using?” “What kind of flash is that?” Gets asked of photographers ALL THE TIME. As if those are the magic numbers which make you an artist. That’s only a small piece of the puzzle, however, it is a piece. And these sketches are fantastic.
If you have one strobe or a fleet, this book will work for you.
Even if you are looking for a quick 2-4 page how-to this book can satisfy your needs. Personally it took me a LONG time to get through Sketching Light and flipping through it again now that I’m done… I kind of want to read it all again! Seriously, regarding flash, this is a must have.
The most important emotion I fill now, is excitement. I always strive to have my next project my best. Now, I can’t wait to push my use of flash even further. Thank you for the masterpiece Joe.
Side note: I’m a Canon shooter, Joe is Nikon. This book will still apply 🙂
If you are looking for a photographer, please feel free to contact me today!
