Now that the pandemic is still raging, an activity that’s becoming part of both home and work is the video call. Even when text-based messaging is around, there are still certain situations in which face-to-face communication is still the best. But since many people gathering in one place would mean danger for everyone, remote conferences are the next best thing. Just like regular meetings, there’s a certain standard that you have to follow when it comes to your appearance. Follow these pointers for the best look on your camera.
Keep Your Skin Healthy
Your face is the main body part that you’ll show in video calls, and this means that you should do your best to have healthy skin, at least. Adopting a routine that includes eating nutritious food, sleeping the right amount of hours, and keeping yourself hydrated will undoubtedly help. Use your best face serum if you must, as your face is pretty much everything that you can show on your screen. If you find it necessary to put on makeup, then you might want to go light on it.
Use the Right Equipment
You’re not expected to have anything too high-end when it comes to equipment, especially if you’re not one who creates content such as game streams or vlogs. However, you should have decent ones, such as a webcam that captures you in a recognizable way or a microphone that picks up what you say clearly. Ring lights, in particular, help bring illumination from in front of you. Some of them even have adjustable colors and brightness, so you might want to invest in one of these.
Go for Plain
Unlike in meetings that you may have had in person, with video conferences, you have different environments. And these can be distracting when they’re noticed. That’s why it’s a good practice to go for plain backgrounds with solid colors, such as white. Backdrops with designs are only really acceptable if you need them to say, teaching kids. Also, consider solid colors for your clothes. Just don’t go with anything that will leave others wanting to chroma key you.
Watch Your Angle
One of the funniest things about some people who participate in video calls is how others can see them in an unflattering angle. Often, these are the ones who place their webcam below them. That gives a view of their chin and below their nose. Avoid this blunder by placing the camera at eye level or somewhat higher than you. Also, it would be great if your face takes up most of your part of the screen. And it’s not going to hurt to test how you look on the screen before you even jump into that call.
You might not be all too motivated to dress up for your video conferences, but it can help you in several ways. For one, it can keep you focused on what you need to do in your meetings. Also, it still has an impact on how people see you. You can generally command more respect when you’re looking your best.
