Customer Reviews: Read 18 more reviews...
 A Good Guide and Useful April 20, 2008
I took the trip of a lifetime to San Francisco and Yosemite National Park earlier this month, and this was one of two photo guidebooks that I bought to plan the trip and carried with me. The other was The Photographer's Guide to Yosemite by Michael Frye, which was an invaluable tool for that part of my trip. Although this book does cover Yosemite, it is no substitute for the Frye book. If you're visiting Yosemite, be sure to pick up the Frye book.
This book is not nearly as good. It covers such a big swath of northern California that it does not do each site justice. For instance, I often got a little lost looking for the suggested overlooks and spots. I also felt that the book tried to provide history as well as photo information, and consequently did neither very well. It would have been better to be direct with the photo information rather than get into a history of each of the major stops listed in the book (often several are listed on a page, and in paragraph form). That said, the Yosemite book is pretty much the high water mark for this kind of book and it is hard to top it.
This book was very helpful to me in planning my trip. For instance, I made a special effort to get to places like Baker Beach at sunset or Vista Point at sunrise, and was rewarded with beautiful light on the Golden Gate. For a person with a photography hobby, it was great to have this book on hand.
Pick up this book but don't forget the Frye book if Yosemite is part of your destination.
 I live in SF and I love this book June 29, 2007
What this book does:
Shows you maps of various points of interest in San Francisco and Northern California (even Yosemite is briefly covered!), with schematics for where to stand and which direction to face for the best views, plus best time of day for each location. There are plenty of sample shots to illustrate what you may get - true postcard shots!
I moved to San Francisco more than a year ago and I had a hard time finding the good vantage points for photographing the city landmarks. Thanks to this book, I have taken some amazing photos! Although I have spent plenty of time exploring the Bay Area, the book actually helped me discover new places like the Carnelian Room. I also learned about locations outside the city, such as Altamont Pass, Bodie ghost town, and the stunning Mono Lake, which I visited.
Note that the book is old, before digital, so it talks a lot about film, 35mm lenses, etc, but the locations and directions remain valid, and you can use any latest-model camera to get even better results.
If you are a tourist who is also a serious photographer, get this - it will save you time and lead you to better photos.
Wonderful For The Aspiring Amateur Photographer May 10, 2007
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Even flipping through this book is exciting, let alone going out to the sites described in it.
The photos are beautiful.
My only precaution for anyone considering this book is that the author literally tells you how to take the exact photo he took.
On the other hand, it teaches you, in taking these shots, that certain angles, times of day, etc. make drastic differences.
Tells you where to go! April 15, 2007
I was surprised how helpful the locations given were for great shots!
Awesome Photo Guide Book March 9, 2006
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
While planning an upcoming trip to San Francisco I started looking at photos of the areas we planned to visit. I commented to my husband that I wished I knew where they were when they took those photos since taking photographs is such a big part of our trips. I ran across this book on Amazon.com and immediately purchased it. It is such an awesome book. Full of color and information on where you need to be to take a certain photos, what time of day and many other helpful tips and information. Best purchase I've made in a long time.
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