Over the past period, virtually every organization has had to make the switch to working from home, working remotely or meeting with colleagues via a video meeting. And although the peak may seem to be over, the expectation is that many organizations will give working from home a permanent place in the way we collaborate. The professional appearance of meetings inside the office space is therefore being moved to the home situation.
Are you taking part in a video meeting, organizing an online meeting or ‘dialing in’ as a speaker via a video connection at an online event? Then of course you want to look good and contribute to the professional appearance of your organization. In this article we give you 7 tips to make sure you look good on screen!
1. Place your webcam at eye level
Many laptops have a built-in webcam, but because the top edge of your screen is often quite low, the viewing angle is not optimal. So place your laptop on a raised surface and position the webcam at eye level, or ideally just a little higher. Of course you can do this with a laptop stand, but a stack of books will get you a long way too. An added benefit: placing your laptop screen at eye level is also ergonomically sound!
2. Do not create unnecessary headroom
The subject of your webcam is you. So try to fill the webcam image with yourself as much as possible. Tilt the webcam so that not unnecessarily much empty space in the shot is lost to the area above your head; the area we call headroom in the trade. Do not place your computer too far away either and make sure the composition fills the screen.
3. Do not sit with your back to the window
Webcams today have enough pixels and resolution, but most still struggle with extreme lighting conditions. So do not sit with your back to the window, but the other way around. You can also choose to use daylight to your advantage and use it as a generous light source to light your face. Naturally, try to avoid being distracted by what is happening outside. Translucent voile curtains or drapes can make a huge difference in improving the picture.
4. Add extra light
As mentioned, you can use daylight as your primary light source, but the downside is that the weather can change in an instant. A cloud in front of the sun can suddenly throw a wrench in the works. So place a lamp with soft light to the left and/or right of your laptop. This evens out the skin and provides a stable light source.
A ring light is often used for this. But you can also achieve this with a cheap paper lantern lampshade. That gives you beautifully diffused light. With smart LED lamps you can now also adjust the color temperature and light intensity. In no time at all, you create a real studio atmosphere.
5. Eliminate distractions in the background
Are you looking good on screen yourself? Then it is always worth checking once more whether there are any distracting things in the background. Laundry just hung up? Children’s toys on the floor? Put it to the side for a moment. Of course, also try to avoid being interrupted and hang a ‘do not disturb’ sign on the door.
A virtual background or digitally blurring your environment is very popular. In one move, you are rid of your clutter. Very handy of course, but we are not fans of it. It often looks ugly and fake and can therefore be very distracting. So don’t do it.
6. Experiment with clothing
You may not expect it, but the clothes you wear have a big influence on the way the webcam ‘looks’ at you. In terms of lighting, the webcam will always try to create an average of the shot. A black shirt or a bright white wall in the background do not help.
Is your webcam not producing a nice image? Then try a different item of clothing and preferably choose clothes in soft, solid colors and avoid strong contrasts. Avoid clothing with stripes or checks. This can cause a moiré pattern in the video image, and that is not desirable. Logos, words and slogans on clothing can also be very distracting.
7. Yourself
Do not forget yourself either, after all, you are in the spotlight. Do you wear glasses? Then try contact lenses, because eyeglass lenses can sometimes reflect the light from the window, the lamps or the laptop screen. As a result, people can no longer see your eyes and you lose the connection with the viewer.
Wear clothes that suit you, but also think about the role you are playing and how you want to come across to the other person. In a meeting with your direct colleagues, this may be less relevant. But it matters if you are part of an online program in a livestream, for example. The first impression is then very important.
‘Fake it till you make it’ is a real showbiz term. Do you look tired or a little pale on camera? Good lighting and makeup are your friends in that case.
Soft, even light from the front makes wrinkles and shadows disappear. You will look a few years younger right away. And if you can adjust the warmth of the light from white to a more yellow light, that helps enormously too.
And otherwise just use tinted skin cream, foundation or makeup. On camera, you will look as if you have a summer glow and a more energetic appearance. The video quality of meeting tools is often so low that the viewer does not need to notice that you are wearing makeup. So this tip is also for our male readers.
Finally: radiate enthusiasm, because behind your laptop your delivery loses some of its energy to the viewer. So give extra energy. More than you are used to.
Do not be nervous, a mistake or slip of the tongue is allowed. That is human.
