Customer Reviews

Guide to Photographing California: The Best Photo Opportunities, Including the Cities, Countryside, Mountains & Coastline

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I especially liked the rating of places to photograph (one to five film canisters), since it helped me narrow down what I wanted to see. The book is also very comprehensive in the areas of California it covers -- it is not limited to the big cities like San Francisco and LA, but covers the deserts and other lesser-traveled places that offer many photographic possibilities. It is arranged well and is easy to read. Although the book was printed in 1993, the basic information contained in it is still current (from my experience, anyway). There are no pictures,which may disappoint some people -- but that would only take away space for the information, and there's a lot of that!!

I also have Andrew Hudson's "Photo Secrets Guide to Photographing California" (or something like that -- I may have title incorrect, but he has a web site if readers would like more information). It's interesting to compare some of the places mentioned in both books to get a sense of what's best to photograph. I guess if I had to choose one or the other book to take with me on a trip to California, I'd take Photo Secrets, but taking both would be the best alternative!! Mr. Hudson's book covers slightly different areas, but is a GREAT book. I especially like the hints on when to go to a particular place (morning, afternoon, or sunset). He also includes some pictures, which are fairly standard but very nice. They give you a better idea of what to expect at some of the places mentioned. For an average sized book, it covers a lot and has a lot of good resource material and photo hints.

Both books are winners, and will help the first time visitor to California a lot. They will also help people who've been there before but want to explore some more. I had been to San Francisco several times before I purchased either book, and thought I knew a lot about the area and its photographic potential. However, both books pointed me to places I was not aware of.

Living in California I'm always looking for opportunities to get good pictures of my surroundings. I have many books about photographing California and have traveled all over the state photographing. I was excited to get this book and embark on another journey to take pictures. Once I got it I started reading through it. The book does tell you places to take photographs, but in a very general way. I know that San Francisco has great places to take pictures...But where !!! Yosemite has beautiful waterfalls in them, where is the best place to shoot from to get the best angle. This book really left me deflated and is on an auction site almost immediately to try and regain some of my lost money.

Good interaction with used book dealer. The book is not what I thought it would be. Photographs of each location would have greatly enhanced the book.