#Best free zoom backgrounds professional#

Anything down lower than your head is going to be much less flattering than having the camera slightly above your eyes.ĭo your best to look into the camera itself when you’re speaking instead of at the videos of your colleagues, classmates, customers, etc… I know it’s difficult and feels un-natural, but it will give a much better end result for their view of you! Learn from my mistakes!Īlso, focus on where your camera is and what angle you’re sharing with your viewers. The times I’ve tried to take shortcuts and didn’t spend those ten minutes preparing, I typically feel more flustered and distracted during the call just wishing I’d gone ahead and gotten it done ahead of time. Taking a few minutes to feel put together can make it so much more enjoyable and easy to focus when you’re in a meeting or on a call.

Whether that’s styling your hair, or re-washing and drying just your bangs or adding some mascara. I’ve found that before calls and classes, it’s really the time to take a quick 10 minutes to pop in front of a mirror and freshen up anything that’s needed. Next we focus on ourselves – the ones in front of the camera! The worst types of lighting are overhead lighting (like using your ceiling lights with no supplementation from a window or lamp), and backlighting like I mentioned earlier.Īvoid them whenever possible and try some of the other options to see if it elevates your overall zoom experience! #2 | Yourself Most of the ones you’ll find give you options to adjust the color of the lighting and have adjustable stands to change the height and orientation.Īs a note, though, ring lights can be especially tricky if you have glasses, (more about that in a little bit) and even without glasses on, will often reflect back in your pupils which can be a little distracting once you notice it, so that’s something to be aware of! I got one off amazon for about $150 that I use often for recording videos for my YouTube Channel and Behind the Scenes classes. Or if you’re using zoom and video calls often, you can invest in a ring light. This is the option I use when I have calls or meetings later in the evening when natural light is no longer available. If all you have is a table lamp, you can set it right in front of or just off to the side of you computer and a little higher than your head. Your second best option for lighting is to supplement with other lights. Which is less than ideal, to say the least. Most computer cameras cannot deal with the high contrast and difference between someone sitting in front of the camera and bright light streaming in behind them.Īnd usually they will default to a much darker setting to compensate for the bright light, and then you’re literally left in the dark in your video. This creates something called “backlighting”, and your camera won’t do you any favors with this set up. Depending on the angle, side lighting can sometimes highlight some of the things that direct light softens, but it’s still one of the better options!īut whatever you do, don’t sit with the light from a window behind you. If you can’t face a window directly, you can have the window at your side which is the 2nd best option. This doesn’t mean you want bright sunshine streaming down on you, but if you have a window that is partially shaded (without casting shadows across your face), OR if you have plain white curtains that you can pull closed to diffuse the light – you’ll have the best lighting option around.įacing a window can almost take 10 years off your age due to how it softens and disguises things like wrinkles and discoloration or blemishes. If you have the option, use natural filtered daylight. Here are the best ways to use your lighting to your advantage to help you look your best: The single most important thing to plan that will happen in front of you during your video call is your lighting! I’ll give you some tips about each one to help you ensure that when the focus is on you & your space, it’s for a good reason! #1 | In Front Of You

In every video call or class, there are three areas that give you opportunities to stand out – either in a good or bad way. There are Three Important Areas to Focus On:

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#Best free zoom backgrounds professional#

I’m glad to get a chance to share what I know about creating professional zoom backgrounds that keep the focus on you and what you have to say, and not on distractions around you.