Day One with Joe McNally
July 21st, 2009 | Seminars & WorkshopsI am so grateful for this incredible gift I give myself–a 5.5 day workshop with Joe McNally at the Santa Fe Photographic Workshop. Yes, it is a gift because as professional photographers, we are preoccupied in creating work for our clients. When we can take a week off to focus on experimenting and learning new techniques, it is a MASSIVE gift.
In my eyes, Joe McNally is probably the best photographer walking on this planet. He is a great storyteller, lighting master, humble guy and extremely gifted teacher. I cannot think of another photographer that is as versatile and gifted in storytelling & lighting. I have been following his work since 2002 when I picked up photography. To sit in the same room with him, learn from him and dialogue with him is just an incredible experience.
Day One. All 15 participants just shared our work. There are plenty of strong portfolios here. I love the energy of the group. We went through different lighting modifiers and how it affects our photographs. I enjoy how he always setups one light at a time, the same discipline I follow.
The best part was to carry out a giant octagon Elinchrom softbox outside the studio and create a series of amazing portraits with the storm clouds at the background. Man, the light is sooooooo YUMMY. It is pretty hard to replicate the effect with small flashes even though we came pretty close.
For the next 3 days, we’ll be out shooting on locations with big and small lights. I am moving out of my comfort zone to try something really different and daring. I’d rather fail gloriously than merely replicating my existing techniques. Watch out for some really cool stuff heading your way tomorrow!
Tri-Flash holder…hmm, another piece of gear to pick up!
Morning get together in the studio before Joe got in
Joe’s workstation is full of chargers, HDDs & SB900s!
I love these lighting panels but I would need at least two assistants if I wanna work with these stuff
Lots of lighting demo in the studio today
Fashion statement?
Joe is the biggest clown in our class. That relaxes everyone!
Working with the octagon softbox just outside the studio. The light is sooooooo YUMMY!
Then we try to replicate that with the SB900…it was hard but we came close.
July 21st, 2009 at 11:04 am
Wow Louis! i wish i can be there too!
the tri grip..u’re getting one? how much does it cost down there? thinking about getting one too.
July 21st, 2009 at 11:06 am
Wow! oh wow! wish i was there too. have a great time Louis!!
July 21st, 2009 at 11:42 am
Looks like a fantastic workshop Louis! Great to see you enjoying every bit of it. This workshop is definitely going to be in my to-do list as well
July 21st, 2009 at 11:45 am
The tri-flash holder is interesting, there’s so many possibilities to use that gear.
July 21st, 2009 at 11:49 am
Man I’d love to spend time with Joe, one day…one day.
July 21st, 2009 at 11:54 am
Wow, so many new things, I never knew there are soo many types of softboxes, how does the effect differ with each softbox shapes?
July 21st, 2009 at 12:37 pm
So envious that you get to meet Joe McNally in person. Have one of his books and really love his style and not so subtle way of lighting something. Great that you are learning something new, can’t wait to see you apply your new found knowledge to your work.
July 21st, 2009 at 12:50 pm
kihaaa!! hopefully.. another time in future, i’ll got an experience something like this..
great!! huhuhhh…
July 21st, 2009 at 1:38 pm
Oh my, I gotta get myself to Sante Fe! Wow! Can’t wait to see the photos that you would produce tmr! We are as excited as you are!
July 21st, 2009 at 1:43 pm
This is wonderful! My closes encounter with Joe is only with his books and videos
I look forward to more pics from the workshop!
July 21st, 2009 at 1:45 pm
Guys: Inspiration is so important for our growth. It is our oxygen. Save up. Plan & make your way here. This is the single most inspiring workshop I’ve ever taken. Joe does not behave like a rock star. He is so keen to help us reach another level. You can ask any questions you want.
July 21st, 2009 at 2:06 pm
wow… its such a nice workshop to attend~ I want to go also~
July 21st, 2009 at 2:33 pm
Wowwwww….. Joe Mcnally… Hopefully, one day i’ll be there… or, you can conduct the same workshop here in Malaysia!!!
July 21st, 2009 at 2:35 pm
Amen to your preface here Louis.
You’re so fortunate to be in Joe’s workshop, my friend.
Would love to be in his workshop one day =)
July 21st, 2009 at 4:00 pm
agreed. Joe’s probably the best photographer walking on this planet. Admire. Admire. Must be one unforgettable time you have there learning new techniques.
July 21st, 2009 at 4:20 pm
That’s why M’sia has you, Louis.
To bring to us precious gems of wisdom.
July 21st, 2009 at 8:13 pm
OMG….. envy! I gotta work harder and save money now
Have fun Louis, can’t wait for what you’ll be experimenting!
July 21st, 2009 at 8:48 pm
Wow, tak boleh tahan lagi, must save up to join Joe Mcnally’s class or your class, hehehehe !
Will he conduct any Asia workshop in the future ? Hopefully he will .
July 22nd, 2009 at 8:03 am
MAN!!!! when will I be able to joint such an incredible workshop ?!!
July 22nd, 2009 at 8:33 am
No wonder the blog is kinda quiet this past 2 weeks….
I’m thinking Louis will incorporate all that he learn in his next courses/seminars…more the reason to join the next classes
btw McNally uses Maha Powerex batteries and chargers? cool
July 22nd, 2009 at 11:38 am
Wow…Joe McNally work shop!!! I wish I can be there too…the best I can do is reading his blog, and some free video tutorial on the web
Can’t wait to see your following post about the workshop.
July 22nd, 2009 at 4:20 pm
I wish I’ll be there….
July 22nd, 2009 at 7:42 pm
I’ve watch the video of the talk the gave at Google.. and man can he tell stories. He just goes on and on and on
I’ve got both his books and they are a treasure trove of lighting yummies.
I think many of us will be planning a ‘gift’ for ourselves in the future
July 27th, 2009 at 9:58 am
Great to see that you’re learning heaps there! The 3 flash holder looks cool, but first, gotta get 3 flashes in the bag!
The Moses dude looks fascinating too. Looks like a Gandalf character. 