Bad lighting can make you look unprofessional during video meetings. Good lighting can help you look polished and ready, whether you're talking to clients or just chatting with coworkers. This guide offers simple ways to get great lighting for your video conferences, so you look your best on screen.
How to Achieve the Optimal Lighting for Video Conferencing
Nobody wishes to look awful on a video call. What we want is lighting that's flattering – even and bright, but not looking artificial. Natural skin tone, no unpleasant shadows, and overall clarity are what we're aiming for. How do we achieve that, then?
The Need for Proper Lighting
One of the most common mistakes people make is simply not enough light. When your camera cannot detect light, the image becomes grainy, and that looks unprofessional. Too much light at the other extreme washes you out. The right balance is what you need for a clear image that defines your features.
And pay attention to your background. Sitting in front of a window silhouettes you. Overhead lighting only creates unflattering shadows on your face.
5 Key Lighting Tips & Techniques
- Front and Center: The most important thing is to ensure light is hitting your face. Use a window, a lamp, or a dedicated video light, but position it in front of you. This will brighten your face evenly and eliminate harsh shadows.
- The 45-Degree Rule: Position your main light source about 45 degrees to the side of your face and slightly above eye level.
- Soften the Light: Direct, harsh light produces unpleasant shadows and bright highlights. Soften the light by bouncing it off a white wall, diffusing window light through a sheer curtain, or using a softbox on your lights. Understanding the difference between soft light and hard light can dramatically change the visual mood of your video appearance.
- Add a Fill Light: Consider adding a soft light source on the opposite side of your key light. It does not have to be bright, just enough to fill in the shadows and provide some depth to your face.
- Color Temperature Matters: Try to get a neutral white light similar to daylight, ideally between 4000K and 5500K. This will make your skin tone look healthy rather than too orange or blue.
By following these suggestions, you can easily improve your video conferencing appearance and make a good impression.
What Kind of Lighting is Best for Video Meetings?
Natural Light: The Gold Standard
When you can use it right, window light is still the best for video calls. Natural light makes colors look great and helps you look your best. Set up so you're facing a big window, but stay out of direct sunlight, which can make the light too strong in some spots and too weak in others.
Cloudy days are even better for video calls. The clouds soften the light like a giant lampshade, giving you an even, soft light that's perfect for looking professional.
Artificial Lighting Solutions
If you don't have good natural light, or if it changes too much, artificial lights can work well. LED lights are a great choice for video calls. They don't use much power, don't get too hot, and many let you changethe brightness and color tempertaure. For example, the Mini-Max 40W LED Photography Light Kit from Harlowe offers a compact and versatile lighting solution.
Ring lights are popular because they light up your face evenly and softly, which looks good up close. But some people don't like the way they make your eyes look.
Regular desk lamps can work if you have nothing else, but they might not be bright enough or let you adjust them enough. If you use lights you already have, use a few of them to spread the light around instead of just one bright light.
Light Color Affects Your Look
The color of your light can really make a large impact on how professional you look on camera. Too warm (below 3000K) and you might look tired or ill. Too cool (above 6000K) and it will be harsh and unflattering. For video calls, the perfect light is usually around 5000K, like daylight outside.
Best Lighting Products for Video Conferencing
The right lighting can make your video calls look a lot more professional. Small LED lights made for online content are easy to carry around and work great. Find lights that let you change the brightness and color.
Portable lighting kits are a good solution because they usually come with things that soften the light and get rid of shadows. These kits are good for when you're at your desk or working in different places.
Mobile-First Solutions
If you need lighting that can go anywhere, think about lights that stick to your phone or tablet with magnets. The Harlowe Sol 5 Spectra RGBCW light is a great example. It uses magnets to attach to devices that work with MagSafe, and it lets you change the light to any color you want. Plus, it's small but gives you really good light.
Key Features Worth Investing In
When you're buying lights for video calls, focus on lights that you can adjust easily. Being able to change the brightness and color is more important than having the brightest light. Try to find lights with a Color Rendering Index (CRI) above 90, so your skin looks natural.
If you work in different places, battery-powered lights are useful. USB power is also good because you can plug them into your laptop. Some lights can even be controlled with an app on your phone, so you don't have to touch the light during a call.
Optimal Lighting for Video Conferencing On-the-Go
When you work remotely or travel, it's often hard to find good lighting. Hotel rooms and coffee shops don't usually have great light.
That's why small, battery-powered LED lights are so useful for people who work on the go. They're easy to pack in your laptop bag, and they can really improve how you look on video calls. Just set one up on your laptop or on a nearby table to make your video quality better right away.
Upgrade Your Video Presence Today
Good lighting doesn't just make you look better to others; it also makes you feel more confident on camera. Investing in the right lighting for your video calls can really pay off by improving your relationships with colleagues and making your communication clearer. Start by thinking about your workspace and where you'll put the lights. Then, add equipment that fits what you need. This will help you look great on every video call.
