Reviews

• National Geographic Traveler
• Shutterbug

Reviews

Testimonials

Full of gorgeous photographs, this would be a treasured addition to any travel collection.
— San Diego Press Club

This could be one of the most needed travel books ever published! The text tells you how to take practically every photo in the book, with helpful maps showing where to stand and where to aim, and even slick little clock symbols to indicate the best time of day for catching the right light. A comprehensive resource guide at the end offers a trove of tips and techniques.
— San Francisco Bay Guardian

Organizes a lot of useful information into a form that makes it readily available. I highly recommend both books.
— Shutterbug, April 1998. Full text.

Detailed maps on where and when to capture the best and most unique shots.
— Endless Vacation, March/April 1998.

Offers a variety of very detailed and pragmatic tips on how to get the best photographs.
— Photographer's Forum, February 1998.

A "Photographer's Dream".
— San Jose Mercury News, Travel section, 12/21/97.

PhotoSecrets books have my nomination for the "Most Useful Travel Guide for Anyone With a Camera" award.
—Peter Burian, Editor, Shutterbug's Outdoor and Nature Photography

These photographic compendia guide you to the most visually distinctive places to explore with your camera.
— Outdoor Photographer, December 1997. (Reproduced with permission)

A "well-researched book" with "dynamite photographs."
— Monterey County Herald, Sunday 3/8/98.

Lots of very cleverly designed maps, plus tons of superb photographs. It's only $16.95 and worth four times that amount. I'm seldom this excited about such a book but this is magnificent.
— John Clayton, Travel with a Difference. Drive time radio in California. Broadcast on 2/23/98 on stations KKHI and KNOB (San Francisco), KKGO and KGIL (Los Angeles) and XBACH (San Diego).

Each page gives guides on which viewpoint to use and the best time to take the shots. A section at the back gives all kinds of useful tips, and includes addresses of local camera shops and repairers.
— Photo Technique, January 1998.

Hudson fills a genuine need.
— Shutterbug's Outdoor and Nature Photography, Winter 1997.

Hudson lets you in on areas sometimes not well-known to photographers and gives you maps, directions, best time of day to shoot, examples of images and numerous insider tips. Hudson ... even tells you where those legendary Ansel Adams pictures were made from.
— Petersen's Photographic, November 1997

You'll learn a lot about photography in general, even if you're just an armchair traveller.
— Family Photo, December 1997

PhotoSecrets is an invaluable resource for photographers.
—Nikon School of Photography.

PhotoSecrets is one of the best travel photography books we've ever seen. These books are for every vacation photographer whose family is waiting in the car. The great locations will keep the kids busy while the tips and suggestions will make you a hero when the pictures come back. The only question now is: "Should I let my family see my copy of PhotoSecrets or let them wonder how I know where to be at just the right time?"
—Phil Bradon, National Product Information Manager, Minolta Corp.

I've lived in the Bay Area all my life and prided myself in knowing its most photogenic places, but how I wish I'd had a copy of 'PhotoSecrets San Francisco and Northern California' before I started work. It would have been great for my new book, 'Bay Area Wild,' which celebrates the world's most extensive system of wild and protected greenbelts around a major metropolitan area.
—Galen Rowell, wilderness photographer, author, and columnist for Outdoor Photographer magazine.

In my career as a professional travel photographer, well over half my time on location is spent seeking out the good angles. It's time consuming, dull, and very frustrating. Andrew Hudson's PhotoSecrets does all that legwork for you, so you can spend your time photographing instead of wandering about. It's like having a professional location scout in your camera bag.
Hudson has thoroughly scoured the city and will tell you where and when to go to get the best possible pictures of San Francisco and the environs. I wish I had one of these books for every city I photograph on assignment.
San Francisco is one of the most beautiful cities in North America and PhotoSecrets can help you capture that beauty on film with a minimum of hassle and a maximum of enjoyment.
—Bob Krist, photography columnist for National Geographic Traveler magazine. Bob's pictures have appeared in National Geographic, Travel & Leisure, Travel/Holiday, and Islands.

Sharing the best locations for great shots has always been a special part of our camera clubs. PhotoSecrets uniquely supplements everyone's knowledge and is an excellent resource for all photographers traveling to our beautiful Bay Area.
—Lois S. Shouse, President of the Northern California Council of Camera Clubs.

The hard work is done. This book tells you where to stand and what to shoot to get memorable photos. All you have to do is push the shutter release.
—Jack Reben, The San Diego Union Tribune

I wanted to compliment you for both the PhotoSecrets book you have produced, and the customer service I enjoyed when I requested it in October. The book is definitely one of the most useful (in fact, one of the ONLY useful) travel photography books I have read recently. Also, your inscription was wonderfully personalized (a rarity among today's barely-legibly-scrawled, author's-name-only autographing crowd) and the refund check for "overpayment of sales tax" was icing on the cake. Thank you very much.
— Joshua Baker, Harvard Law School.

I find your concept fascinating and the execution/graphic design spectacular. I'm constantly amazed that books and magazines targeted to photographers (visual artists) rely almost exclusively on (non-visual) text. You have broken that mold with a compelling mix of graphics and visually dynamic text that is wonderfully user friendly. You have raised the bar for photo books.
— Rob Kleine, Photographer/Writer, Kleine & Associates.

I just love your book on San Francisco. Not only does it aid a photographer, but any traveler. Friends going to San Francisco in April borrowed my book and loved it and now are going to buy a copy. We'll be taking our first trip to the West Coast, and your books will probably be our #1 guide. I completely identify with your book as I was looking for the hill above the abbey from The Sound of Music and no one in Salzburg seemed to know what I was talking about. Thanks again for such a practical book.
—Julie Wilson

Ingenious! A long overdue book. More! More!
—Bob Dumont

I know several people that have bought the book and they absolutely sing praises for it. I've loaned out my copy as a travel guide and the people using it thought it was a GREAT travel guide as they knew where to go, what the place looked like and even when to go to see each place at it's best.
—Bill Atchison

This is an incredible book, excellent value even though it cost over $30.00 Canadian (due to our poor dollar). I had to wait about 2 months for the book store to special order this book. I have been to Yosemite and I agree with the locations that the author has shown. I am amazed that I missed so many good locations on the way (Bodie Ghost Town, Mono Lake). This book will help eliminate a lot of wasted "scouting" time the next time that I go to California.
—Darwin Mulligan

Fantastic book. Just bought it and can't wait to travel to San Fransisco! Would recommend it even if you don't plan to travel. The photos are great.
—Todd Felmly, FotoForum

Returned from a trip to Yosimite on Saturday. Your book is dog-eared and bent and was well used. I think we hit every view point that you recommended that was open. Your advice assisted me in some great shots. Thanks again for a great book.
—Bill Provost

Thank you for your call and attention to my order of your book 'PhotoSecrets.' You did a marvelous job - quite beyond my expectations! I had taken a workshop from Galen Rowell last April and was quite "pumped." I have since been to Mono Lake and Bodie. You captured both quite well. San Francisco is a dilemma if one is there for a short stay. Your tips are very helpful. I am looking forward to going further up the coast and your ideas and observations will be of great help.
Thank You and Good Luck,
—William (Bill) Grabe

PhotoSecrets is a photographer's dream come true! The most valuable asset a photographer can have is TIME. Rather than wasting valuble time looking for the right location, or the right time of day, or the correct vantage point in which to shoot a specific shot, PhotoSecrets SHOWS you where to go and what to do when you get there! You WILL bring back the best images possible using these revolutionary PhotoSecrets guides!
—Peter Finger, professional location photographer.

I wish this kind of guide book was available for all the places I travel to. It's a great concept. This type of guide will reduce your guessing and give you more time to experience the destination. PhotoSecrets is especially valuable when your time is limited. It will be your personal photography assistant for Northern California. We can learn a lot from how other photographers compose a scene. Similarly this book can be used to enlighten you to the best desinations to shoot.
I can't wait to get my hands on a finished copy and use it on my next visit to the San Francisco area. I would also like to see similar guides for other popular destinations.
—Douglas "PhotoMann" Mann, editor, Okinawa Photo Club News.

PhotoSecrets makes those memorable moments picture perfect!
—Theresa Payne

A travel guide with photographic tips? I've waited long enough for it, how can I not have one?
—Tan Hui Shim

I am really looking forward to seeing the book. I am spending a week or so with my uncle in San Fran and hope that it will help me capture the area on film. Looking at the preview pages on the web really sold the book to me."
—Caleb Groom

I really think your idea is wonderful.
—Richard Eberle

As a photography teacher, I take my students to San Francisco to see this great city and capture the many aspects that it offers. My superintendent recommended this book to me knowing that I had a limited amount of time in the bay area and thought this book would get the most out of this long weekend field trip. I really think this book will aide me in discovering new areas and angles that I didn't think of before.
Professional photographers spend hundred of dollars on location scouts; PhotoSecrets saves you time and money by providing the best area of shooting in one simple publication. Whether you've been shooting for a week or a lifetime, PhotoSecrets will benefit you!"
—Ken Neely

We love your book. It looks great. We used it very much in California - it is a great guide. Full of information, the photos are fantastic, directions are concise, we had a great time. We were in Califoria for only 4 days and we took 13 rolls of slides thanks to you. My favorite part of the book was all the different views of the bridge. We traveled to several of the locations you suggested. The directions were perfect. We especially enjoyed the Presidio Yacht Club. That was a view we've never seen before. We took alot of beautiful photographs on our trip thanks to your help. I again want to thank you for being so nice in sending us the preview. The finished book is very impressive. If we have the opportunity to suggest the purchase of it to anyone or to any bookstores, we will gladly do so. If you have any future plans for new locations or books, put us on your mailing list. I wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed your book. Your professionalism is superb - both photographically and business wise. Thank-you again. I was very pleased.
P.S. I really appreciate you signing my copy!
—Barbie and Giles Laux, Professional Photographers

I have purchased both of your books, and think they're great. I subscribe to several photo newsletters and magazines, but these books are the most informative and thorough I've seen. I'm on the board of the Phoenix Camera Club, and I'm going to promote these at our next meeting.
—Terry Sueltman

Before I got PhotoSecrets I could hardly tie my own shoelaces but now I am CEO of a $100 billion corporation, have 3 ferraris, 5 mistresses and have appeared on the cover of fortune magazine 3 times. Thanks Photosecrets.
--Ewan Makepeace, no fixed abode, probably facetious.