P#25 Q6A: Joe McNally's Favorite Photography Secret

A Photography Secret Revealed

Joe McNally: Okay, but Audri, then it won't be a photography secret anymore, and it's all about secrets.

Audri Lanford: I know, we'll have to shoot them, but nonetheless, let's do it.

Joe McNally: Photographers are a funny bunch. Thankfully I grew up in a time and an era photographically where mentoring was a very, very important role that every editor and every established photographer accepted as part of their territory. Lately there's been a tightening and people getting very competitive. That's not the crowd I hang with.

Witness the book, The Moment it Clicks. It's really observations from 30 years of doing this and advice that I've accumulated over the years. It certainly contains hard won experience, but when you read it you're also relating to other people who were better photographers and inspirational editors.

One of the best pieces of advice I ever got from an editor was from Mel Scott at LIFE Magazine. He just looked at me as I was heading out the door and he said, "Joe, surprise me." That is wonderful advice to give any photographer.

When you go out with a camera in your hand, one of the things that you have to remember is that you're on a mission or a journey to discover things and bring back information and tell stories. Presumably you're telling people things that they don't already know or things they might be surprised by. Be open to the element of surprise.

What goes along with that is that I highly advocate patience behind the lens. That's a very important photography secret. When you're looking for those surprises, when you're staying with a subject and trying to fit yourself around their day or get telling moments, be patient behind the lens.

You're trying to tell these stories and they don't always come easily. They don't always reveal themselves in a split second. You have to wait and know a moment, and know when you have to step forward and photograph that.

Those things kind of go hand in hand, look for surprises and be patient when you have a camera in your hands.

In Summary

What's the secret of great photography? According to Joe McNally, it's a matter of looking for surprises and having the patience to find them. That photography secret may mean sitting behind your camera all day waiting for the perfect moment to arise, but when you do catch that moment the persistence pays off.