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Photographer Matthew Jordan Smith's Book: Aretha Cool

To describe fellow Nikon Ambassador Matthew Jordan Smith as a professional photographer is accurate, of course, but that factual description falls far short of the appropriate assessment of who he is and how large he looms over image making for the last thirty years. Across a thirty year career and the celebrity centers of New York and Los Angeles, Matthew has recorded the famous, the talented, the icons and the astonishingly beautiful in distinctive, memorable fashion. Now based in Tokyo, he is an intimate of such powerhouse personalities such as Oprah, Queen Latifah, Angela Bassett, and Zend

Nikon Z 9 Tracking and Autofocus at Work on Assignment!

A quick cut from the behind-the-scenes video of the El Mirage desert shoot showing the extraordinary tracking and autofocus capabilities of the Nikon Z 9 in real time!

The Tuscany Photography Workshop

To visit Tuscany is to visit one of the most amazingly beautiful, serene places on earth. Excited to teach there again with dear friend and Nikon Ambassador Tamara Lackey again in October 2025! A super fun time all-around in 2024 (a sold-out workshop) and we now opened up the workshop for 2025. Time in Pietrasanta, western Tuscany, will be an amazing experience since we have a buyout at a beautiful boutique hotel - no other guests! Highlights include a fantastic photo shoot day with Drive the Vintage providing classic Vespas and Fiats and beautiful Italian models, complete with scarves, sungla

Shooting for Sports Illustrated Magazine - A Look Back

Shooting for Sports Illustrated was an adventure. Working, improbably, for the biggest, best, most powerful sports mag in the world. I say improbable as I was never much of a sideline, action style of photog. How could I be? At any major sports event, Sports Illustrated could populate any competition pitch in the world with photogs who need no introduction. Zimmerman, Leifer, Cooke, Drake, Iooss, Kluetmeier, Frakes, Iacono, Tiedemann, Biever, Millan, the list goes on. Photogs with smarts, experience, knowledge of the game being covered, and an almost preternatural ability to be in the right pl

Spring in Ireland Photography Workshop

Join Joe McNally and Tamara Lackey on a photography adventure of a lifetime to the Emerald Isle! Photograph the beauty and joy of this magical land. The 7-Day workshop begins in Dublin and finishes on the West Coast in Galway. Street photography, landscapes, portraits, dance - and so much more. Unique access and experiences, photo critiques, camera clinics, plus a sea safari looking for Puffins! And companions/partners are not only welcome, but they make the trip that much more fun and enriching. Even if you've been to Ireland, this is a trip not to miss with these two top photography instruc

Creating a Printique Photo Book with Joe McNally

In this lively, “two way street” discussion of making a photo book with Printique, Photographer Joe McNally talks about the importance and collective power of a book of photographs edited and presented with logic and visual coherence. McNally's latest book, "The Real Deal: Field Notes from the Life of a Working Photographer," is just out and he will offer answers and observations from the process of interacting with a publisher, and an editor, in the construction of a book. Pictures, especially from the personal experiences and the travels of one’s life, bound together in a book, are the volum

Nikon Z 9 Launches: On Assignment in the Desert

First assignment with the Nikon Z 9! Went to the blazing sun of the the El Mirage lake bed with race cars, an athlete and the Nikon Z 9. Our assignment was to come up with something a bit different, a race car picture that would symbolize speed, and the amazing tech of the Z 9. Check out the real-time captures of AF tracking and watch how the "brain" of this game-changer camera works on assignment. Will Credell, our performer/athlete, gave the camera’s autofocus a thorough test, and the Z 9 autofocus responded, using tracking and eye detection to render tack-sharp series of action sequences. I

Fashion Photography Shoot with Nikon Mirrorless | Behind-the-Scenes

We called this "Garden and Grit" because, well, that's where we were. We had beautiful gardens and greenery to work with, and in the midst of all the verdant luxury were these old walls, and crumbling stone. And, that was my mandate for this assignment with the new Nikon Z 7II camera--fill the frame with detail and color - many thanks to @nikonusa for the opportunity. Wonderful day in the field with great talent and a great team! Big thanks to Samantha Brown Style for amazing styling, flawless production by Lynn DelMastro, director/cinematographer @Andrew Tomasino, editing by Chris Hershman

Dance Photography with BANDALOOP! Behind-the-Scenes

Early this year, I had the opportunity to work with @BANDALOOPING whose vertical performance artistry is unparalleled. These artists literally turn the dance floor sideways. Their "stage" can be an urban building, or a cliff face in the natural world. What they bring to us is lyrically expressed dance, choreographed with innovation and audacity. I strove to get my camera up in their space, near where they fly, and work wide angle. I used the Nikon mirrorless Z 7 camera, coupled with the beautifully sharp 14-30mm f/4 lens, to show dimension and drama. The durability and lightness of the Z was

Las Vegas Stage Performers with the Nikon Z System

Joli! She is a wondrous stage presence, as I have know for some time. But, given the mandate of this job, to show her in the bright lights, but also look at the quieter side, at home, with her adorable Frenchies, and backstage as she preps for the big show, was wonderfully rich and revealing. We used the @nikonusa Z 6 & Z 7 to good advantage here, especially backstage, where the hubbub and preparation for the curtain go up have always been a fascinating aspect of the life of any performer. It's not all glamour and excitement. We took a look at the preparations, and the quiet part of life, off

A Chicago Recording Artist and the Nikon Z System

Young talent, in the big city, making a mark, working for success, trying for an audience...this type of creative struggle has always been grist for storytelling, and the camera. On the streets of Chicago, a young recording artist, Ryan, writes songs, rehearses, and pounds the pavement as she looks to make it as a recording artist. What a stress test for the Nikon Z mirrorless system! We worked in a basement practice room, with zero light, in an foreclosed building, to using flash for portraiture on the freezing cold streets of the Windy City. Harsh conditions, zero light, and we kept rolling,

Las Vegas Performers and the Nikon Z System

Have always loved shooting in Vegas. It was a great place to showcase the @nikonusa Z 6 in action. Onstage, and offstage with the performers, I used the strengths of the camera in different ways to show their lives and talents. Lots of different scenarios - quiet moments at home and then out on the highway in the hills! Employed a variety of #profoto lighting tools in different shapes and sizes. #nikonmirrorless #lightingonlocation #photographingathletes Photo Crew: PHOTOGRAPHER: JOE MCNALLY | EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: LYNN DELMASTRO 1st ASSISTANT / CREW CHIEF: MICHAEL CALI | 1st ASSISTANT: AND

A NYC Dancer and Low-Light Work with Nikon Mirrorless | Behind-the-Scenes

Nothing like dancing in the city! Loved working with Kevin Rivera, a multi-talented dancer who uses the streets and subways of NYC as his stage and theater. In this adventure with the Nikon Z6 and Z7, we went from beautiful, plentiful light, to the dim shadows of the subway system under the streets. The complete system approach! Z7 for detailed, and wonderfully rich, subtle color, to the storytelling capabilities of the high ISO Z6, which pulls fantastic quality out of shadows and low, low light. #dancephotography #nycdancers #nikonmirrorless Photo Crew: PHOTOGRAPHER: JOE MCNALLY | EXECUTI

Athletes in Motion with the Nikon Z System | Behind-the-Scenes

Athletes rule in this BTS video. We shot in a cavernous warehouse in upstate NY, with light and graphics everywhere, providing a wonderful contrast to the strength, agility and prowess of our tremendously talented performers. Ray James is in the Martial Arts Hall of Fame. And Joshua Cummings is simply one of the fittest people I've ever worked with, and I've worked with a lot of athletes. Again, the tandem went to work - Nikon Z6 for action and dim light, Nikon Z7 for high res and portraits. Beautiful combo of gear, for a multi-layered assignment. #nikonmirrorless #joemcnallylighting #athlet