Evolving as a photographer: Joe McNally’s “The Real Deal”

“The Real Deal: Field Notes from the Life of a Working Photographer” (2022) is the latest page-turner from acclaimed American photographer Joe McNally. Part autobiography and part freelance photography bible of sorts, The Real Deal delivers a candid journey of McNally’s 40-year career in the industry.

The author

Joe McNally is an award-winning, critically acclaimed photographer. His career has taken him to 70 countries around the world while working in multiple formats and genres. From film to digital, photojournalism to advertising, McNally holds a wealth of photography experience. His lengthy list of clients includes National Geographic, LIFE Magazine and ESPN, to name just a few. “The Real Deal” is McNally’s fifth book (for a review on his iconic read, “The Hot Shoe Diaries,” click here.)

In the beginning

The first chapters of “The Real Deal” are devoted to the trials and tribulations McNally faced as a young photographer. He describes life in New York during the 70s as a young man trying to make it big. McNally’s honesty and candid approach to writing makes the book an easy read.

He is unreserved in recounting his early failures and personal lack of confidence. This draws the reader in from the start:

“I rummage through the equipment cases on those days, searching for not a lens or a light stand, but for something much more elusive: confidence. Or, perhaps, a way out.”

Joe McNally