If you are working from home and have online video conferences, setting up lighting for home office video conference is a must for you to look professional. It's not about making your home office appear like a movie set production. Instead, the goal is to make the lighting appear as natural as possible so that you and your business partner can get down to work without interruptions.
Why lighting is important for home video conferences?
Home video conference lighting allows all participants in the video conference call to see everything clearly and makes you appear professional. It is a must to ensure participants view your face without distraction caused by stray light from behind or shadows that distort your facial features. This asks for good illumination.
In addition, a well-lit look demonstrates professionalism and capability in the workplace, and it may even contribute to improved communication and collaboration. Proper lighting also contributes to our professional appearance by making us feel more at ease and confident. When we are more confident, we can more clearly clarify what we are saying and thinking, improving communication and exhibiting professionalism. While increasing your self-assurance and earning potential.
What is the key to setting up lighting for video conferencing at home VS in office?
You probably didn't think twice about lighting while working in the office room. So why should it now matter?
Offices and houses are illuminated extremely differently. Multiple sources of overhead illumination are evenly distributed and well-placed across an office area. As a consequence, whether you're holding an in-person or virtual conference from your office, the lighting appears natural and smooth.
The illumination in our homes is somewhat varied. To maximize space, most people place their home office workstations against a wall. However, the area is often lighted by a single overhead light in the center of the room, which does not always reach your workstation. When you're working in your kitchen or at your dining table, for example, you're contending with light shining in from windows from all sides.
Your web camera will focus on the brightest light source in its field of view. Everything else is darkened to accent the main light source. If that's not you, you will look terrible when video conferencing with crucial clients.
4 steps to get the best lighting for home office video conference
To get the best home office video conference lighting, you can follow these 4 steps:
- Estimate your home office setup to decide the lighting purpose.
- Position the light properly.
- Invest in some tools to level up home video conference setup.
- Pay attention to other factors in your home office that may impact video. meetings
Read on to learn about these tips in detail.
Step 1: Evaluate your home office setup to decide the lighting purpose
Reenacting a regular video meeting is the best method to evaluate your present lighting setup. This allows you to know what the other person sees. Start a Zoom call from your home office or wherever you usually receive calls and record yourself for a few minutes. Play the recording back and have a careful check.
Look for strange shadows on your face or shoulders, light reflections, and black spots. Basically, search for anything that does not appear natural. Remember, we're attempting to mimic an in-person meeting via video, so consider what you wouldn't see in person. These are the elements that should be corrected with good lighting.
Step 2: Position the light properly
Position the lighting for home office video conference properly to correct the unnatural elements you find in your current home workspace. And here are some tips for you to get natural look.
- Do place the light source behind the camera, not behind you, or the camera will focus on that fixture and darken your face. This will make it hard for the conference participants to focus on what you are talking about.
- Do disable overhead lighting in your home office. It will cast shadows on your face and create glare on the camera.
- Do use multiple light sources. When light arrives from various angles and sources, it may fill in shadows and give an even and natural appearance.
- Do maintain a safe space between yourself and the light. This helps avoid direct lighting that creates a harsh look and wipes away your features. If you have the room, place the light a few feet away. And you can reflect it off a surface like a wall to get the best results.
Step 3: Invest in some tools to level up home video conference setup
You can improve the look of your home office by following the tips above. However, it is also advised to invest in a few devices that can significantly improve your video conferencing game.
Professional lights: COLBOR offers LED studio lights and LED pocket light for getting video conference lighting. You can use them to create even and natural for your video calls.
Sheer curtains or blinds: You very certainly have a window or two in your home office. Natural light can help you get quality home office lighting for video conferencing, but it can also be supplemented. Use sheer curtains or blinds to block off bright sunlight (which causes glare). These aid in the diffusion of natural light, resulting in a softer glow.
Step 4: Pay attention to other factors in your home office that may impact video meetings
Reflections and glare are common issues you may come across in remote-working video meetings. They are usually caused by glasses, reflective objects like mirrors, shiny jewelry or clothes, etc. You can avoid having them appear in the camera frame or adjust the lighting setup to eliminate the influences.
Conclusion
You don't need a full film production setup to have the best lighting for home office video conference. Your home office may have smooth, soft lighting without any visual disturbances by making a few little adjustments. Make sure to pay attention to the light's position, your camera's position, various lighting sources, and reflections in your workspace.