Lights, Camera… Lights!

The presenter on the Zoom meeting looked like she was in a Witness Protection Program. All you could see was that dark silhouette of a figure magnified by a bright light behind her. The voice was not garbled to disguise her identity, but you’d never know what she looked like because of the dark shadows.

The guy was supposed to be giving a virtual motivation moment for the company. You could tell that he was excited about his subject by the way he was bobbing his head up and down. You just couldn’t see the expression on his face because the lights were too bright and he looked as washed out as a ghost.

And that poor lady with the big glasses! The reflective glare from the lights kept us from being able to see her eyes.

Don’t leave your viewers in the dark, they want to see you — as well as hear what you have to say!

Have you had any of those problems?

You’re presentation is dialed in after hours of preparation. People are gathering in your virtual waiting room. You are moments from going live and tragically notice that you have a major lighting problem. Oh, if only you had a professional ELT (Electrical Lighting Technician) in your home “studio” that could solve the issue. Would be nice!

Here are some quick tips to help you overcome those pesky lighting challenges:

Most Flattering Angle — Get that light raised up above your head and adjust the light to be 45 degrees facing down toward you.

Be A Match Maker — You can create a very natural look if you match the color of the light in the room. If your room has warmer colors adjust your light(s) to the warmer end of the spectrum. If your room is brighter (more blue tones) shift away from those warm colors and brighten things up. The closer you can match the colors in your space the better the image.

Got Glasses? — I have glasses and I’ve had plenty of glare in the past. The best solution to overcome those flashes of light on your specks is to use two lights placed strategically on each side of your computer aimed at the outside edges of your glasses. Remember to get those lights raised above your head and slighlty down toward your face.

I hope that sheds a little light on your lighting!