Expert Tips On Looking Your Best For A Video Conference
Video conferencing technology like Zoom and others has become a huge part of our daily lives. We use it to communicate with our families, clients and coworkers. It has been increasingly important to make sure you are presenting yourself the best way even though you may be sitting, standing or talking in the comfort of your home. These tips will have you looking fashionable even though you have not left your house in days except to go to the grocery store or take a walk around the neighborhood. Before we get to the clothes, there are a few preliminary things to keep in mind before a Zoom call.
Have The Correct Lighting
Making sure you have ample lighting is the first thing to keep in mind as it could determine where you sit around the house, or wherever is your office for the day. Use as much natural light as possible. If you are home, open the blinds or shades. Be mindful not to sit so that the light falls behind you. The light needs to be facing your face whether it is right in front of you or you are no more than 45 degrees away from directly in front of it. Also, remember that your computer screen can provide light. If you are in a pinch and you find yourself in a place that lacks enough natural light, adjust your brightness.
Adjust The Camera Angle
Your camera angle is crucial. Make sure that it is head-on and at eye level. Any other way is unacceptable. Putting your computer on the table, your camera will be much lower than your face and it is going to be unflattering for others in the video conference to look at. You do not have to waste money on getting ergonomic furniture, at least not immediately. For now, you can use some books, a stool or a table that sits higher. It is important that the camera is at the same level as your eyes. People should not feel like they are either looking up at you or down at you.
See What Your Video Feed Looks Like Ahead Of Time
Doing a quick test before your video conference ensures that you show up punctual, kept together and ready to go. You do not want to adjust your surroundings, screen brightness, camera angles, hair or makeup in front of everyone. The many video conferencing apps we use like Zoom, WebEx and Bluejeans typically have an option you can pick that will give you a preview of your video feed before hopping on the call.
For all the other video conferencing apps, you can open the webcam program on your computer to quickly see how you look and are presenting yourself before the video call. This allows you to make any last-minute changes without feeling rushed or embarrassed. Once you get inside the video conference, it is best to hide your video preview of yourself so you are not constantly checking out your virtual reflection, picking at your hair or moving your camera angles during the call. Just remember that you are on camera and everyone can see you, so refrain from doing something embarrassing.
Go Somewhere Quiet
You may not have as much control over your audio but you can make it sound as best as possible by going somewhere quiet with little sound interruptions. It is also important that you use your best headphones. You get extra points if you have a microphone either standing alone or designed inside the headphones. Both of these options will give you better sound quality than the microphone on your computer.
Pick Out The Best Outfit
Now that we have the preliminary things taken care of, we can talk about what to look for when picking out the best outfit for your video conference. Make sure that your neckline is not too low, but still wide and low enough to have plenty of room between the chin and blouse. You do not want to look like your head is floating, so avoid things like buttoned-up collard shirts, turtlenecks, mock necks and bow neck blouses. It is best to have a blouse with a sleeve to reduce the focus from your body and more to your face.
You also do not want to wear something that is too fitted or too structured as well as too shiny and loud. The webcams on your computer are very sensitive and you do not want it to draw attention to the wrong things.