Journal · Camera Haven
Notes from the desk shelf
Privacy, mounting and lighting for people who work and stream from a desk.
Jun 2026Setting up a second angle without a second cameraA top-down or side view is useful for anyone demonstrating anything with their hands, and most people already own the camera to do it: a phone. What is missing is…Read →
Jun 2026Keeping a shared desk camera clean and coveredCameras on shared desks get touched, breathed on and occasionally taped over with whatever is nearest. Tape is the worst of the available options because the adhesive stays on theRead →
Jun 2026Why a webcam looks worse than the phone in your pocketPeople are regularly disappointed that a webcam bought specifically for video calls looks worse than a four year old phone. The reason is mostly sensor size and mostly not fixableRead →
Jun 2026Lighting a call without buying a studioMost video calls are lit from behind by a window and from above by a ceiling fitting, which is close to the worst possible combination. Fixing it does not require…Read →
Jun 2026Choosing between a gooseneck arm and a monitor clipThere are two sensible places to put a webcam that is not sitting on top of a laptop: clipped to the monitor, or held on an arm that reaches over…Read →
Jun 2026Webcam covers: what actually fits a modern laptop lidLaptop lids have got thinner every year and webcam covers have not all kept up. Fit a cover that is too thick and the lid no longer closes flat, which…Read →
Notes from the Red Hook counter
Practical notes about webcam privacy covers and desk mounts, written by the people who stock it.