Video Calls
You may have already done several video conferences from home or from a remote location. But, have you given much thought to the setup of your camera?
If you’re like most people who just flip open their laptop and hit start, there are a lot of other things you can do to enhance the video experience.
Putting in a little bit more thought into your set up can make a huge difference in how you look. It can also give you executive presence.
The perfect camera setup for video calls
You may be thinking that having the perfect camera setup is going to cost you a lot of money, and while you can spend money on setting up your home office for video calls, the perfect setup can happen with things you already own!
1. Elevate
The easiest thing you can do to get that perfect camera setup for video calls is to elevate your camera. This will help shift the camera angle so that it is facing at a downward angle ensuring your eyes look up, not down. By making this slight adjustment, you can avoid the camera shooting up your nose. Not the most flattering look.
A quick fix is to simply take a stack of books or a box and elevate the screen. By doing this, it will give a more straight-on perspective of you.
Positioning your camera at eye level will also affect your posture. If your camera is lower, you are more likely to be hunched over which diminishes your presence on camera.
2. Video Check
A very important thing to do is to always do a visual video check of yourself before you hit the start or enter a room. You want to make sure you don’t have a lot of headspace between you and the top.
Too much space between you and the top of the screen can make you look like you are just a floating head.
You also want to make sure that your video isn’t just your whole face either. A simple fix is to push your camera back so it’s 2-3 feet away from you. If this isn’t the most comfortable position, don’t worry. Once the call is over, return back to your normal sitting position.
As more and more companies embrace remote or hybrid work – video calls and video conferencing are here to stay.
3. Framing
Making sure you have the right framing is key when creating the perfect camera setup for video calls.
As mentioned above, you don’t want to have too much headspace or only have your face on the screen.
A little adjustment to your camera angle can make a huge difference in how others perceive you. And remember: impressions are always being made! So make sure you test your camera and check how you look before hitting that start button!
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