Looking Great on Zoom is About More Than Great Lighting
A screenshot of a recent Zoom workshop I did. Make sure you sign up to join me for my free monthly workshops called Show Up and Shine Like the Superstar You Are!
It seems like the whole world is on Zoom, especially in the past two years. For a while, we were all living our lives on Zoom, from business meetings to family gatherings.
No matter what you use Zoom for, I’m guessing you’d like to look nice doing it. I know I do. Here are a few simple things you can do to show up as your best self on your next Zoom call:
Pay Attention to Your Appearance
I’m the first to admit that working from home has tended to make me more “casual.” Since you can comfortably join a Zoom from virtually anywhere, it makes it a bit too easy to just jump on no matter how you look.
Take a few moments and make sure you look (and feel) good before you hit the “join” button. Comb your hair, shave your face or apply some makeup, and think strategically about your clothing. Wearing a really busy plaid or patterned outfit is distracting for other viewers. A plain, solid color that compliments your skin tone is the best choice.
This is the exact model I use and it’s cheaper by 50% and better quality than I could find on Amazon.
Be Aware of your Lighting
The biggest mistake most people make in web conferences is lighting. Not enough light leaves you in shadows, too much light from one side of the room makes you look like half of your face is missing, too much light can wash you out, and light behind you makes it almost impossible to see you. If you don’t have a good, steady source of artificial light in front of you during a video conference, find a window. Natural lighting is the best anyhow.
I chose a ring light so that I’m best prepared no matter what the outdoor, natural lighting looks like. I love my 18” Ring light. The bigger the light source (18 inches vs. 14 inches - the softer the light source which better compliments this middle age face. 😃
I love that my background has a clean, white background with my contact information and in my brand colors.
Manage Your Background
You want people focusing on your face, not on what's behind you. Many people like to use a bookshelf as a background, but if you’re not careful, the "trinkets" on the shelf will cause distractions. A plain background (like a wall) or something with an abstract design is a great way to go. And unless you have a green screen, I’d avoid using virtual backgrounds.
I created my own background to use so I can be brand consistent with my logo and brand colors. It has all my contact information on it too.
Look Your Laptop Camera In the Eye
The biggest mistake I see people make on Zoom calls is to talk to the screen instead of the camera. Your camera is at the top of your monitor, but your eyes will be drawn to the other people in the middle of your monitor on the Zoom call. When it’s your turn to talk, train yourself to look up at your camera (it’s probably got a green light on, so should be easy to find). This is a little challenging when you first start doing it, but you’ll get used to it over time, and it makes you so much more authentic and relatable if people are looking into your eyes.
I see people all the time with weird angles that aren’t complimentary to looking their best selves. You can use books to elevate your laptop. I use a small Apple box like this. You want to be eye to eye with your laptop camera.
Mine is actually half this size and fits easily under my laptop width.
Use a few of these tricks to look your best the next time you have a Zoom meeting.