january 2007 - Professional Photographer Magazine

There are just so many.
Called a legend on the Web sites of Kodak,
Photo District News and Nikon, perhaps the
second-best word for Joe McNally is versatile.
He doesn’t stick with any one subject, yet his
images are recognizable. That’s what made
him popular with major publications,
e’s been everywhere, seen
everything. Asking Joe McNally
to recount the most exciting
adventures behind his camera is like asking
Scherherazade to tell you her favorite story.
among them National Geographic, Life,
Time and Sports Illustrated.
“I’m a generalist, an assignment photographer,”
says McNally. “Give me a job, and
I’ll shoot it for you. I’m not driven by one
specific thing, area, cause, or people.” That
said, McNally is definitely an excellent
people photographer, and will admit that
people are his favorite subjects.
Years ago, as a journalism major at Syracuse
University, McNally had set his sights on
being a sportswriter, but his focus suddenly
shifted when he was required to take
beginning photography to fulfill his major.