The Moment It Clicks

See no evil, hear no evil, and speak no evil - brought to you by uber cousins Jake, Eve and Rachel. Thanks to Uncle Mike for the idea.



Tonight I picked up Joe McNally's new book, "The Moment It Clicks." I write this at 3;38 a.m. (don't ask), but I finished the entire book in one sitting, and...wow.

First off, for more "professional" reviews, check out the Strobist's take, and Scott Kelby's thoughts. Also, click here for Kelby's cool behind the scenes details on how he basically convinced McNally to write the book in the first place.

But what did I get from the book? First of all, it basically reads like my attention span - short and to the point. Each page is a new lesson, a new example, and a new nugget of learning. It's the kind of book I'll pick up in the future when I want something to thumb through and I'll notice something I didn't see before and spark my creative juices. It totally trumps this book that I got last year.

Basically it's the book I wish that book had been. McNally's book is longer, easier to read, more practical (you don't need $50k worth of gear for every shoot).

What did I get out of the book (this first time through)?

• Don't be afraid to stick a flash where the light is. Huh? You say. Meaning, stick it under a lampshade, aim it in the same direction as the sun, etc. same light, more control = better light.
• You want independent control of your fore and background light(s) - duh, right? I never thought about it that way though.
• And perhaps the best nugget - your photos have to speak for themselves, 99% of the time you won't be there to tell the viewer, "I was thinking this when I shot this."
  

And last but not least of my nearly 4 a.m. writings, my friend James (The) Fed(erico) has his new wedding site up here, so take a look if you're, you know, getting hitched and can't hire yours-truly because of my baseball job.