While a lot of us are many months into working from home and have already familiarized ourselves with video calls, we thought it would be a good time to rehash some tips. With many events, presentations, and meetings still taking place online, we want to make sure you know how to set up your computer and surroundings so that you look your best.
Tip 1: Light your face.
If you take anything away from this article, let it be this first tip. Lighting will not only play a large part in where you’re sitting, but it will also make the biggest difference in how you look on screen. The most ideal home setup would be to face an open window head-on or have it just slightly off to your side. Whatever you do, make sure there’s no light source coming from behind you.
Front-facing natural light will evenly accentuate and brighten your skin and features, creating a clear and flattering shot. At the same time, don’t forget about the light from your computer screen. A too-bright screen can blow out the highlights and end up making you look washed out. Play with your screen settings and lowering your brightness to figure out a happy medium.
Tip 2: Find the perfect angle.
Most people video conferencing from home have one of two setups: a desktop computer or a laptop. Neither of which are probably at the right height for video. Ideally, you want your camera lens to be right at eye level. This might mean raising your chair if you’re working at a desktop, or stacking your laptop up on some books to get the perfect angle.
Tip 3: Don’t forget about your background.
While we all know our homes aren’t as professional as our offices, it’s still important to find a tidy background for your video calls. You want to both minimize distractions and present yourself well. So it’s important to find a plain, clean background. It’s doesn’t necessarily have the be a blank wall, but less is definitely more in this case.
Tip 4: Test your video before hand.
Most video conferencing platforms (Google Hangouts, Zoom, Skype) let you preview your video before starting or joining a call. Make sure to take advantage of this so you can get comfortable in front of the camera and adjust your surroundings, screen brightness, or angle before going in front of everyone else.
If you’re using a platform that doesn’t have a preview option, there are a few other solutions. You can open your photobooth app, video call yourself on Facebook, or open your webcam app to check out how everything looks.
Tip 5: Get comfortable before starting.
We know you’re at home, but you’re still on a work call. Much like physical meetings, you should give your full attention. This means no getting up and moving around. Make sure you’re sitting comfortably and already have any necessary headphones and chargers within reach. Some people also like to have a cup of water nearby (for our weekly meetings a 142, it’s usually our morning cup of coffee).
While video calls are definitely still common right now, we know a lot of people might also be creating content on their phones. If that’s the case for you, make sure to check out our tips for making videos on your phone, too!