Mounting your webcam at eye level helps to avoid the unflattering up-the-nose/double chin shot.
Here are five quick tips that will help you come across better in webcasts and video calls.
1. Camera placement – Mount your camera so that it is at eye level. This avoids the unflattering shot up the nostrils. This is easier to do with external cameras. If you are using your laptop’s internal camera you can place it on an eight to ten inch high box. Make sure it is stable.
2. Lighting direction – Avoid having any lights behind you shining into the camera. This tends to cast a kind of shadow on your face. If you have a window in your office, try to have it in front of you so you can use that light on your face. Consider having a lamp on your desk to light up your face. Avoid overhead lighting.
3. Lighting color – In photography we refer to lighting temperature. Each temperature has a color. Most overhead tube florescent lights will tend to give your skin a greenish tint on camera. You can buy compact florescent bulbs that are “daylight” which gives you a more natural color. Most incandescent lights will have a warm yellowish tint. Sunlight coming in the window can appear to be bluish. Try to have yourself lit with incandescent lamps or “daylight” florescent.
4. Sound – Not really about the picture, but important. Get a mic close to your mouth. Do not use internal mics of laptops, webcams or camcorders. We’ve all heard webcasts where the speaker sounds like they are sitting across an empty room or where there is a lot of background noise. If at all possible, use an external microphone such as a clip-on lavalier or a headset style mic. A USB mic is generally preferable to an analog mic with the headphone size plug. There are also nicer mics you can put on a stand in the $50 to $150 range. You can find my mic comparison webcast here.
5. Background – Take a look at what is in the frame behind you. Is the view cluttered? Does it look like a plant is growing out of your ear? Is there a half-eaten doughnut sitting on a table? Try to make it so what appears to your audience conveys the message and feel you want.
If you are interested in webcasting with a chroma key background, you might find this elapsed time video of me setting up the Ada Harris School webcast studio interesting.
