Review: Perfect Belichten by Nando Harmsen

Friday 28 January 2022, 15:51 by Erik van Rosmalen | 4,701 views | 1 comment

This article was translated from Dutch with the help of AI. Read the original.

Light is the essence of photography. In the book 'Perfect Belichten', Nando Harmsen helps you take better photos by focusing on this subject.

You can talk about photography at length, but in the end it comes down to one thing: light. No matter how good the expression or how remarkable the subject, incorrect exposure is disastrous for the final result.

Exposure and more

Good exposure is about more than putting the exposure meter needle in your viewfinder 'in the middle'. By combining aperture, shutter speed and sensitivity (ISO value) in the right way, you get the correct exposure.

By trying and experimenting a lot, you will learn how to improve your photos with good exposure. This book by Nando Harmsen is an excellent tool for doing so.

Nando has worked as a professional photographer for decades, and for several years now also as a blogger for Photofacts. His book 'Perfect Belichten' was published last summer in the Focus op Fotografie series.

Cameras are quite intelligent. They make a good suggestion for the 'correct' setting. But the systems that help you are not infallible. 'In those cases, you have to intervene and correct the errors made by the camera', Nando rightly writes in the foreword.

'It is important that you know what you can do to get a well-exposed photo after all.' And that is exactly what Nando explains in this book.

Broad approach

The book is broad and comprehensive in scope. The absolute beginner may have to swallow hard when leafing through the first chapters, where the real theory is covered. How apertures relate to each other, what shutter speeds actually involve, Nando explains it all in detail.

Don't you like a lot of theory, or are you simply not very keen on numbers? Then it may be a tough start. But it is really worth the effort. And Nando has an accessible writing style, which helps a lot too!

The explanation of stops, shutter speeds and apertures reminds me of a story told by a Fotovakschool teacher. He had to find the correct settings while blindfolded, using a fully manual analogue camera.

Purely by counting the clicks of the aperture ring and the shutter speed dial. That is how this basic theory works too. Once you have mastered it without having to think, you are well on your way to better photos.

In this book, the blindfold is unnecessary. Nando explains everything clearly and in an understandable way. There are also plenty of images and diagrams showing how he works.

The structure of the book is logical too. It starts with the basics and works towards the creative applications of exposure in the five chapters.

Practical approach

Although the book starts very theoretically, Nando has certainly paid good attention to practice as well. Each chapter ends with a number of assignments for you to work on yourself.

They are useful for beginners who want to get to grips with the theory, but some of the assignments are also very useful to repeat occasionally, even if you have been working with the subject for longer.

For example, one of the assignments has you practise different methods of measuring light. Always useful to do, because it means you also use methods other than your own favourite.

It gives you more insight into what your camera can do. This may help you learn to use it intuitively in a different way.


The book helps you keep your skills up to scratch by doing things that are just a little different. Things you might otherwise lose sight of because you take them for granted. So it is also an excellent book as 'maintenance material' for your photographic knowledge if you are already somewhat more advanced!

» Order the book Perfect Belichten (34.99 euros)

Are you a member of Photofacts Academy? Then you can receive the book Perfect Belichten at a great discount when renewing your membership.

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