Haje Jan Kamps

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Posts from January 2011

1 year ago

Translating the mode wheel

If you look at the top of your SLR camera, you’ll probably find a little round dial, which has a whole load of different settings on them. Some of them are automatic settings (like the green square), some of them are ‘creative automatic’ settings (like the little runner), and others are the modes that let you do the heavy lifting yourself (P, Tv, Av and M). This little dial is [...]

1 year ago

The differences between your eyes and your camera

I have worn glasses all my life, and as a result, I was introduced to the magic of optics way before I ever considered getting into photography. Then, when I started learning more about the magic of photography, I started noticing things with my own eye-sight: For example, in bright daylight, I can see further than in twilight. Why? I'll leave you to solve this one yourself (think about it!) - the [...]

1 year ago

Dodging and burning

If you've spent any time in Photoshop editing your images, you'll have noticed a "dodging" and "burning" tools. They are used for making an image lighter and darker respectively, but why the odd icons? Why is there a lollypop and a fist as part of your Photoshop tool palette? As you may have guessed, it's a hangover from the darkroom days - and it's a technique that is great fun to play with if [...]

1 year ago

Backing up your photos

As photographers, we spend a lot of time thinking about how to take the most beautiful photos ever. Do you spend enough time keeping them safe? How often do you back up your photos? If you have to think for more than a fraction of a second to answer that question, the real answer is ‘not often enough’ There are a few important steps to creating a backup strategy. Choose what to back up [...]

1 year ago

Slow-mo trains and mathematics

Towards the end of last year it seemed as if every geeky, gadgety, or photography website was featuring the awesome Glide 2, a slow-motion film shot from a high-speed train. In two weeks, it attracted a staggering 735,000 views. That video was made by my good friend Graeme Taylor. He spoke to my friend and editor of Small Aperture Daniela, who was  fortunate enough to be able to catch up [...]

1 year ago

Prime lenses

So, you’ve got a SLR, do you? Smashing. You might have a kit lens, a tele-zoom, and a couple of flashes by now, and you’re feeling pretty hot about yourself and your camera gear, are you? Well, good on you. But until you’ve got a decent prime lens, you haven’t really lived. And I’m here to tell you why. Back in the infancy of photography, we never had anything but [...]

1 year ago

Should all cameras have manual settings?

My very first digital compact camera - back in the late 1990s - had an astonishingly powerful manual mode: You could change the ISO, the shutter speed, the aperture. These days, you're lucky if you get a compact where you get to change anything at all. On the ubiquitous Canon ELPH/IXUS cameras, you do get a 'manual' mode - but the things you are allowed control over are laughable. You can turn [...]

1 year ago

Most popular of 2010

Most popular in 2010 I know I already did my 'best photos of 2010' (and there's also the "best picture by the Small Aperture crew" post), but I figured I'd also share with you what the most popular posts in the past year have been - if popularity is anything to go by, make sure you haven't missed these posts... On Small Aperture, my photography news blog: 10 ravishing rain-filled shots When the [...]

1 year ago

Life as a technical editor

I am quite in demand as a technical editor for photography books, as you can see from the list of books I have listed on my 'company' web site, But what does a tech editor do? And what is the difference between a good and a bad tech editor? When the books I wrote went through the technical editor mill, I have to admit that I was a little bit disappointed - Sure, I was incredibly grateful for [...]

1 year ago

Creating photographic habits that stick

Have you ever noticed how you learn a lot faster when you're under some serious peer pressure? Wouldn't it be great if, when you've decided to learn a new photography technique, your social network on Facebook ramps up and tries their best to help you reach your goals? My good friend Laurie has done just that. Combine it with the tips from my Breaking Photographer's Block article, and you're [...]

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