Joe McNally
Encyclopedia
Joe McNally is an American
photographer who has been shooting for the National Geographic Society
since 1987.
McNally was born in Montclair
, New Jersey
. He received his bachelor's and graduate degrees from the S. I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University
. He is based out of New York City and resides in Ridgefield, Connecticut
.
staff photographer, the first one in 23 years. His most well known series is the "Faces of Ground Zero — Portraits of the Heroes of September 11th", a collection of 246 giant Polaroid portraits shot in the Moby C Studio near Ground Zero
in a three-week period shortly after 9/11. A large group of these life-size (9' x 4') photos were exhibited in seven cities in 2002, seen by almost a million people. The exhibit and the book, printed by LIFE, helped raise approximately $2 million for the 9/11-relief effort.
McNally has contributed for the National Geographic magazine for 20 years. One of his photographic projects for the magazine was "The Future of Flying," a 32-page cover story, published in December 2003, commemorating the centennial observance of the Wright brothers
' flight. This story was the first all digital shoot for the magazine. This issue was a National Magazine Award Finalist, and one of the magazine’s most popular covers.
He has shot cover stories for Sports Illustrated, Time, Newsweek, Geo, Fortune, New York, Business Week, LIFE and Men’s Journal, among others.
McNally’s advertising, marketing and promotional work includes FedEx
, Nikon
, Sony
, Land's End
, General Electric
, MetLife, Bogen, Adidas
, Kelby Media Group, Wildlife Conservation Society
, and American Ballet Theatre
.
In 2008, McNally published his book, The Moment It Clicks. In 2009, McNally published The Hotshoe Diaries.
He's known for heavy usage of CLS and Speedlight
.
In January 1999 Kodak and Photo District News
honored McNally by inducting him into their Legends Online archive. In 2001 Nikon bestowed a similar honor when McNally was placed on NikonNet.com's list of Legends Behind the Lens.
He has received the Alfred Eisenstadt Award for magazine photography and has been honored by Pictures of the Year International
, World Press Photo
, and the Art Directors Club. He has also been recognized by the magazines Photo District News
, American Photo, Applied Arts magazine, Communication Arts, and Graphis Inc..
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
photographer who has been shooting for the National Geographic Society
National Geographic Society
The National Geographic Society , headquartered in Washington, D.C. in the United States, is one of the largest non-profit scientific and educational institutions in the world. Its interests include geography, archaeology and natural science, the promotion of environmental and historical...
since 1987.
McNally was born in Montclair
Montclair, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 38,977 people, 15,020 households, and 9,687 families residing in the township. The population density was 6,183.6 people per square mile . There were 15,531 housing units at an average density of 2,464.0 per square mile...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
. He received his bachelor's and graduate degrees from the S. I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University
Syracuse University
Syracuse University is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York, United States. Its roots can be traced back to Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1832, which also later founded Genesee College...
. He is based out of New York City and resides in Ridgefield, Connecticut
Ridgefield, Connecticut
Ridgefield is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. Situated in the foothills of the Berkshire Mountains, the 300-year-old community had a population of 24,638 at the 2010 census. The town center, which was formerly a borough, is defined by the U.S...
.
Career
From 1994 until 1998 Joe McNally was LIFE magazine'sLife (magazine)
Life generally refers to three American magazines:*A humor and general interest magazine published from 1883 to 1936. Time founder Henry Luce bought the magazine in 1936 solely so that he could acquire the rights to its name....
staff photographer, the first one in 23 years. His most well known series is the "Faces of Ground Zero — Portraits of the Heroes of September 11th", a collection of 246 giant Polaroid portraits shot in the Moby C Studio near Ground Zero
Ground zero
The term ground zero describes the point on the Earth's surface closest to a detonation...
in a three-week period shortly after 9/11. A large group of these life-size (9' x 4') photos were exhibited in seven cities in 2002, seen by almost a million people. The exhibit and the book, printed by LIFE, helped raise approximately $2 million for the 9/11-relief effort.
McNally has contributed for the National Geographic magazine for 20 years. One of his photographic projects for the magazine was "The Future of Flying," a 32-page cover story, published in December 2003, commemorating the centennial observance of the Wright brothers
Wright brothers
The Wright brothers, Orville and Wilbur , were two Americans credited with inventing and building the world's first successful airplane and making the first controlled, powered and sustained heavier-than-air human flight, on December 17, 1903...
' flight. This story was the first all digital shoot for the magazine. This issue was a National Magazine Award Finalist, and one of the magazine’s most popular covers.
He has shot cover stories for Sports Illustrated, Time, Newsweek, Geo, Fortune, New York, Business Week, LIFE and Men’s Journal, among others.
McNally’s advertising, marketing and promotional work includes FedEx
FedEx
FedEx Corporation , originally known as FDX Corporation, is a logistics services company, based in the United States with headquarters in Memphis, Tennessee...
, Nikon
Nikon
, also known as just Nikon, is a multinational corporation headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, specializing in optics and imaging. Its products include cameras, binoculars, microscopes, measurement instruments, and the steppers used in the photolithography steps of semiconductor fabrication, of which...
, Sony
Sony
, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
, Land's End
Land's End
Land's End is a headland and small settlement in west Cornwall, England, within the United Kingdom. It is located on the Penwith peninsula approximately eight miles west-southwest of Penzance....
, General Electric
General Electric
General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
, MetLife, Bogen, Adidas
Adidas
Adidas AG is a German sports apparel manufacturer and parent company of the Adidas Group, which consists of the Reebok sportswear company, TaylorMade-Adidas golf company , and Rockport...
, Kelby Media Group, Wildlife Conservation Society
Wildlife Conservation Society
The Wildlife Conservation Society based at the Bronx Zoo was founded in 1895 as the New York Zoological Society and currently manages some of wild places around the world, with over 500 field conservation projects in 60 countries, and 200 scientists on staff...
, and American Ballet Theatre
American Ballet Theatre
American Ballet Theatre , based in New York City, was one of the foremost ballet companies of the 20th century. It continues as a leading dance company in the world today...
.
In 2008, McNally published his book, The Moment It Clicks. In 2009, McNally published The Hotshoe Diaries.
He's known for heavy usage of CLS and Speedlight
Speedlight
Speedlight is the brand name used by Nikon Corporation for their photographic flash units, used since the company's introduction of strobe flashes in the 1960s. Nikon's standalone Speedlights have the SB- prefix as part of their model designation...
.
Awards and honors
McNally has been described by American Photo magazine as perhaps the most versatile photojournalist working today and was listed as one of the hundred most important people in photography.In January 1999 Kodak and Photo District News
Photo District News
Photo District News is an American monthly trade publication for professional photographers. PDN was first published in 1980. The publication takes its name from New York City's photo district, an area of photo businesses that was once located in Flatiron District.Originally named New York Photo...
honored McNally by inducting him into their Legends Online archive. In 2001 Nikon bestowed a similar honor when McNally was placed on NikonNet.com's list of Legends Behind the Lens.
He has received the Alfred Eisenstadt Award for magazine photography and has been honored by Pictures of the Year International
Pictures of the Year
is the oldest and most prestigious photojournalism program in the world. POYi began as an annual competition for photojournalism in 1944, and is now an international professional development program for visual journalism. POYi is a non-profit, academic program dedicated to journalism education...
, World Press Photo
World Press Photo
World Press Photo is an independent, non-profit organization based in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Founded in 1955 the organization is known for holding the world's largest and most prestigious annual press photography contest....
, and the Art Directors Club. He has also been recognized by the magazines Photo District News
Photo District News
Photo District News is an American monthly trade publication for professional photographers. PDN was first published in 1980. The publication takes its name from New York City's photo district, an area of photo businesses that was once located in Flatiron District.Originally named New York Photo...
, American Photo, Applied Arts magazine, Communication Arts, and Graphis Inc..
Books
- The Moment It Clicks: Photography secrets from one of the world's top shooters, by Joe McNally
- Hot Shoe Diaries, The: Big Light from Small Flashes, by Joe McNally