How can I best light my home office videoconferencing?

February 26, 2020 11:21 AM

I am finally working remotely on the regular and need to dial into Zoom/Teams video meetings, but the lighting in my home office is abysmal. What product(s) do I need and how can I set this up so I will look better on the screen? Not interested in/capable of setting up a whole home studio situation, but I'll buy some gadgets off the internet and fiddle with them ... Thanks!
posted by mccxxiii to Technology (4 answers total)

Best answer: Her are a couple of extensive write-ups with product suggestions: Creating the ultimate remote worker webcam setup on a budget and My videoconferencing setup.
posted by neushoorn at 11:32 AM on February 26, 2020

Best answer: Ring light if you want a bigger solution, mini clip-on light for portable but less bright/fancy solution.
posted by rachaelfaith at 11:33 AM on February 26, 2020

Best answer: I got much-improved results in Zoom just by using one sub-$20 usb ring light *and* moving stuff around so my camera is up pointing slightly down at me. The light sits just to the right of my laptop (which is the camera I'm using). Pretty much all those lights come with settings for warm, cool, and both - I stick with warm.

You may need to experiment with lighting in the room behind you if it's getting weird or shadowy back there. I have cheap torchieres from Target with Hue bulbs I keep set at the warmest possible white. If you have a blank white wall behind you it can make a huge difference just to have a cheap desk lamp or spot light on the floor at the base of the wall pointing up.
posted by Lyn Never at 11:41 AM on February 26, 2020

I hate ring lights because everybody using them has a bright circle in their eyeball. Makes them look like some weird alien species.
posted by zengargoyle at 11:16 PM on February 26, 2020