Turn on the Lights

The darker the room, the harder your camera has to work to make a picture. Ideally, you want to light yourself from the front with soft, indirect light, and minimize other lighting in the room, particularly from windows of light sources from behind you.

Wear Solid Colors

Bright, solid colors show up well on camera, with one exception — the color red.  Video cameras struggle with red for a variety of technical reasons, so “just say no to red!”

Avoid Black, White, and Patterns

Black and white are extremes and a camera will end up making a compromise to expose your image. Pattern fabrics can blur together and cause distraction on camera.

Look Behind You

Try to keep the background simple by avoiding anything that looks busy or cluttered. Again, beware of windows that let in natural light or that might reflect your computer screen. Simply choosing a plain wall as your backdrop is often best.

Don’t Be Blue

If you’re sitting in front of your video screen, it will most likely glow blue light on your face. Turn your computer monitor brightness as low as it will go to reduce this effect.

Don’t Sit Too Close

The majority of web cameras have very wide lenses. When you sit too close, you bring new meaning to the phrase “talking head.” Frame yourself in the middle of the frame, with your shoulders and head visible.

Higher is Better

Professional camera people will set their lens height to the talent’s eye height. Adding a book or two under your laptop or camera will raise the eyeline. We recommend having the camera point directly forward, slight angled down to keep ceiling lights out of the shot, if needed.