Tips for the video call: How to look great
Whether for business or pleasure, the use of digital video conferencing platforms is booming in the Corona crisis. The Zoom video call program, for example, recorded over 2.3 milllarden visits in January 2021 - an increase of over 2500 percent compared to the same month last year (91.9 million visits). To make the best possible impression in the video call, there are a few tricks.
1. the perfect face illumination: frontal and slightly elevated.
1. the perfect face illumination: frontal and slightly elevated.The most important basic rule for good illumination of the face is: frontal lighting! Ideally, the light should come directly from the front, but a light source offset to the side by a maximum of 45° is also fine. Light set strongly to the side casts too strong shadows that look less flattering. In addition, the light should come slightly from above, an angle of about 30° above eye level is best. It is best to keep the face slightly downward. If the light blinds you, it should be set a little higher; but if the chin or nose cast too strong shadows, you should lower the light a little.
2. light quality: indirect and red cast provides soft shadows.
The lighting should not come directly from the incandescent lamp, but be filtered through a lampshade, for example. This makes the light appear softer and casts softer shadows. Special products such as softboxes can also be used for this purpose.
3. adjust camera slightly elevated
The camera should not be set below eye level, as this creates a less favorable view. A camera position about 30 percent above eye level is considered ideal. If you are using the laptop camera, you can raise it using books or a laptop stand. A webcam can be adjusted well with an appropriate tripod. When speaking, you should look into the camera more often and not just at the other call participants, even if this intuitively feels a bit unusual. After all, in "real life" we are used to looking the other person in the eye. In a video conference, however, looking into the camera gives the impression that you are actually making eye contact with your counterpart.
4. make background a little darker than foreground
The background in the video conference should in any case be less brightly lit than the foreground or the face area, otherwise the face will appear too dark. In particular, you should avoid sitting in front of a window, since the bright light from behind plunges the face into darkness especially in relation to it. The background should look as calm and tidy as possible. A few decorative details such as plants, bookshelves or pictures give the background a personal touch. However, there should not be too much going on visually in the visible image area, as this would be distracting.
5. the right clothes: Please not too gaudy!
When choosing an outfit, you should go for neutral colors and avoid too strong patterns. Checks and stripes in particular can impair image capture and lead to distortions in the video. Also, the contrast between the background and the top should not be too strong. You should also avoid white tops: they can reflect the light too strongly.
