Spurred on by a more regular use of video conferencing, Zoom, FaceTime etc… here are a few tips to help you look your best by using flattering light and camera angles and non-distracting backgrounds. Don’t get too anxious about the process - most of the software allows you to check yourself out before going public. But do take time to prepare and to do a dry run before you start.
Preparing yourself.
It is a good thing to give yourself a ‘once over’ in front of a mirror before starting. That piece of food stuck in your teeth will distract your viewers. Also a quick sort out of your hair if you are lucky to have some. If you are wearing make up I would recommend, as I do when I am working on portrait photography, a matt finish as they can reduce sheens on your skin. If you are not a make up wearer give yourself a wipe down with tissue. Also check your shoulders and your front for specks of dust and other stuff, especially if you are wearing black.
Lighting and Background.
Most inbuilt cameras on your devices work best with a soft light - like light from an overcast sky. This type of light will not have the bright highlights and dark shadows which the cameras cannot deal with. Nor will it throw harsh shadows on your face. So when you are setting up, during daylight hours, choose a window that is not in direct sunshine. Take a tip from the Renaissance Masters and choose a North facing window if you can - the same light that they used for their portraits. I would recommend that you sit facing a window or at a slight angle to it so your face is fully lit bey the soft light.
If you have the space try have as much distance from you and your background - be it a wall or a room or office scene, it gives a comfortable sense of space to the other viewers. Make sure that there are no distracting items close to your head, from the camera point of view. This could include a painting, a lamp standard or sconce, a pull cord for a blind or shutter, heavy patterned wall paper or a branch moving in the breeze outside. Keeping the background as neutral as possible is a good thing.
This is a common issue - avoid having any bright lights behind you such as windows, bright doorways, lamps, standard lamps, wall sconces, ceiling light etc… The camera lenses see these bright areas and will darken down the whole image, including you, so you end up as a shadow or silhouette in the video.
If it is night time and you must use artificial light, use soft light. This can be achieved by moving your desk or table to a neutral or light coloured wall or door - Point a lamp at the wall and sit facing the wall, the light reflected from the wall should be enough to light you with a nice soft light. Keep the lamp itself well out of frame of the camera. Use a white, grey or light coloured wall for this as using a strong coloured wall will give your skin a strange colour cast.
Position of laptop, camera.
At all time keep the position of the laptop or smartphone in line with your face. You may need to raise the position of your laptop or phone by placing it on a stack of books, for instance, or some other convenient platform. If you are using your smartphone do not hand hold it. You should put it in one position, leaning against a book or other stable support. Also check out where the lens is positioned on your phone as this will help you with composition. Keeping the straight on angle your fellow viewers won’t be distracted by your well coiffured nasal hair or your double chin if the camera is too low, or your shiny forehead or immerging roots if the angle of your camera is too high.
Try not getting too close to the lens on your device. You should at least have all your upper body a little above the waist and all your head in the shot with some space over your head. Try sitting at a slight angle to the lens as this can enhance the image. If you can position yourself slightly to one side of the camera frame it can help composition also. You will get other help from an earlier blog I did on how to prepare for your portrait at: https://www.eugenelangan.com/blog/2017/3/7/preparing-for-your-portrait
One other item I just remembered is to clean the lens on your device - especially a phone as it picks up finger grease very easily. You a lint free cloth similar to what you would use to clean reading glasses. If it is bad pop a drop of window cleaner on a tissue and clean around the lens then finish off with the lint free cloth. Don’t apply the window cleaner directly on to the device.
Best of luck with it.
Stay Safe. Stay healthy.
If you would like to discuss any aspect of photography do give me a shout.
Eugene Langan Photography, Studio Eight, 32 North Brunswick St., Dublin 7. D07 TWX3. Ireland
e-mail: langan@indigo.ie - tel: 353(0)872597907 - web: www.eugenelangan.com