The Hot Shoe Diaries is acclaimed photo journalist Joe McNally's book about his use of Nikon Speedlights and Nikon's CLS (Creative Lighting System) and AWL (Advanced Wireless Lighting) for his creative lighting solutions. Whether he's photographing a gymnast on the Great Wall, an alligator in a swamp, or a fire truck careening through Times Square, McNally uses flash to create great light that makes his pictures unique and special. While McNally uses Nikon gear exclusively (and is presumably under Nikon contract as a poster boy for CLS), there is very little Nikon or CLS-specific material in the book, nor is the book about settings or the technical side of flash use. Instead, this is a candid, often amusing, inspirational and highly personal account about an artist's creative use of modern flash equipment.

This DVD is a very nice supplement to McNally's book (above). It contains 2.5 hours of hands-on instruction about Nikon's CLS, featuring the SB-600, SB-800, SB-900, and the macro flash kit SB-R200. It sets out with photographer Bob Krist going over just about every setting on a Nikon Speedlight you would want to know about (and some you probably don't). Then Joe McNally comes in shows how to actually use the gear in the field. The examples range from simple, one-light studio shoots to a complex 13-light outdoors setup. This DVD is suitable for all levels, from absolute beginner to long-time CLS users looking for fresh ideas. In my opinion, this is one of the best resources to date for learning CLS.

This is a well-written and practical introduction to use of flash for wedding and portrait photographers, illustrated with high quality examples. The emphasis is on the way most wedding photographers work, with a single flash mounted on a flash-bracket above the camera. At the end there is a short section about off-camera flash as well. The book provides a lot of of helpful tips, techniques and practical advice about equipment and workflow. There are sections about brackets and battery packs, types of flash units, manual and automatic flash modes, and metering. This is very practical oriented book, with a lot of examples and diagrams. Often, he uses a particular photo as a starting point, and tells you in detail how it was shot, including all the equipment used and the camera and flash settings. If you want to learn all about how to use a single flash unit on-camera, then this is the book to get.

This book is a standard reference work for the advanced student of photographic light (in particular studio lighting, but it goes beyond that). For instance, it describes in detail how various surfaces (metal, glass, liquids, and people) respond to light, how to light those surfaces for different effects, and why you should use a particular approach. It should be noted that this is not a book with standard recipes or lighting examples. Instead, it deals with lighting on a fundamental level, allowing the diligent student to gain an understanding of the subject that will allow him or her to apply this knowledge to situations which are not even mentioned in the book. The books is not always an easy read. (There's even some mathematics and physics for those that are interested.) In my opinion, it is all well worth the effort. No serious photographer should be without the knowledge about photographic light disseminated in this book.

This book is a very solid introduction to lighting studio portraits for beginners. It explains the often complex terminology of professional studio photography, the unique role that each lighting element plays in a well-lit and flattering studio portrait, and how colour, direction, form, and contrast affect the final portrait. The practical oriented text, photo examples, and lighting diagrams teach the reader how to achieve a number of traditional lighting styles that have been the basis of good portraiture since the advent of the art.