Joe McNally - Sketching Light: An Illustrated Tour of the Possibilities of Flash

Voices that Matter

Sketching Light: An Illustrated Tour of the Possibilities of Flash
Joe McNally

New Riders
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New Riders is an imprint of Peachpit, a division of Pearson Education

Copyright 2012 by Joe McNally Photography
All photography Joe McNally Photography except production pictures and product shots,
which are by Michael Cali, Drew Gurian, Will Foster, and Lynda Peckham except where noted.

Editor: Ted Waitt
Production Editor: Lisa Brazieal
Cover and Interior Design: Charlene Charles-Will
Layout and Composition: Kim Scott, Bumpy Design
Color Production Specialist: Marco Ugolini
Indexer: James Minkin
Cover Images: Joe McNally
Author Image on Back Cover: Michael Cali
Author Image on Spine: Drew Gurian

Notice of Rights

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher. For information on getting permission reprints and excerpts, contact .

Notice of Liability

The information in this book is distributed on an As Is basis without warranty. While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of the book, neither the author nor Peachpit shall have any liability to any person or entity with respect to any loss or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly by the instructions contained in this book or by the computer software and hardware products described in it.

Trademarks

Many of the designations used by manufacturers and sellers to distinguish their products are claimed as trademarks. Where those designations appear in this book, and Peachpit was aware of a trademark claim, the designations appear as requested by the owner of the trademark. All other product names and services identified throughout this book are used in editorial fashion only and for the benefit of such companies with no intention of infringement of the trademark. No such use, or the use of any trade name, is intended to convey endorsement or other affiliation with this book.

ISBN-13 978-0-321-70090-2
ISBN-10 0-321-70090-2

9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Printed and bound in the United States of America

In the storm-tossed seas of freelance photography,
Annie remains a safe harbor, a light on the shore.
Always and forever...

This book has been a long time coming. So my first thanks go out to folks who have asked about it, and maybe even waited patiently for it. It took a while to write, in between assignments and life. I also waited a bit to get my head around some new technology that has been swirling about.

Thats always a tough game to play, because theres always something new. But I did wait to include certain thingsfor instance, the new radio TTL systems for small flashthat are beginning to mature, and promise to make things easier for us. I wanted to see where some of the newer bells and whistles might lead.

Mostly, I remain thankful to be a photographer. In the midst of the torrent of technology we swim in daily, the unchanging mission for all shooters is to make pictures that arrest the eye of the viewer and describe our chosen subjects eloquently. We are part of an honored tradition, that of storytelling, which goes back to the dawn of time. Those prehistoric people, painting on their cave wallswere they doing anything different than we are now, with all our pixels and technical wizardry? I think not. They were leaving their footprints, and telling the story of their times, and their lives. With those ancient pigments on those rough walls, they were saying one simple thing: Remember us.

Which is exactly what were doing. Were just doing it faster, more often, and with more sophisticated tools. And Im thankful for those tools.

Nikon, my camera system for many years, creates wonderful picture-making technology. So does Canon. Im thankful for both, because those two competitors spur each other on. Who benefits? Us. The photogs. Thanks are in order for Manfrotto, Elinchrom, Lastolite, LumiQuest, and PocketWizard. And Apple, Profoto, Nik, and Kata. And Lexar, Wacom, Think Tank, Westcott, and Epson. Basically, gratitude to all those technically minded folks who labor and compete with each other to produce photo machinery that makes the life of a shooter in the field easier, more expansive, and more productive. There are amazing pictures being made today that could not have been made just a few years ago. The current, wonderful era of pictorial adventurism is directly linked to technology and innovation. Better tools fuel the imagination, and enable better pictures.

I write about a bunch of those tools in this book. I write about those tools because I use them, plain and simple. And, I use them because they workfor me.

It has been pointed out, and even complained about, that in the realm of small flash, I write solely about Nikon Speedlights. Okay, I do.

Heres why. I use them. Ive got nearly 40 years of experience in the field using Nikon gear. Ive been through the fire with the stuff, and watched it both soar and fail. Ive had it save me, and curse me, the same way any camera system might do for and to anyone who chooses to use it. The point is, Im qualified to write about the stuff. Ive relied on it. I know how it works, and I can offer workarounds when it doesnt.

Thanks to Syl Arena, and his wonderful book, I can work a Canon Speedlite. I could go outside right now and make a picture with one. The reason I dont write about Canon stuff is that Im not qualified. Ive never relied on those lights in the heat of battle, when the chips were down, out there on assignment. I dont have the depth of experience thats needed to offer the reader a nuanced, detailed overview, fortified with the resonance that only comes from time spent using the gear, day in and day out. Just because you read the manual and can work the gear doesnt mean you can or should talk or teach about it. So I dont.

Additionally, while theres tons of basics and tech info and gear discussed in these pages, the conversationstory to story, picture to pictureemphasizes the use of light, not necessarily where it comes from. Big flash, small flash, light shapers, stands, settings, gelsits all in here. But the much more important aspects of the book are how all that stuff gets used to speak, describe, and inform. How all that machinery boils down to a simple, elegant, appropriate light at that moment, for that subject.

Many people have helped this book along. Im very grateful to all who have come to workshops and lectures, and then go into the field and passionately find their own pictures. Thanks to those in some classes who were kind enough to snap a production picture or two, behind the scenes. Some of those are in these pages, and they provide enormously helpful information. All the models have been truly wonderful. Kudos for your patience, discipline, expressions, and devotion.

Ted Waittand the all-star team at Peachpit. I drove them nuts, Ted especially. But he remained calm, and was always what a good editor should bea reasoned voice, a collaborative director, an informed questioner, and a resolute shield from some of the ranting that might have occurred (Im just guessing here) about Where the hell is that book?!?!