5 Easy Ways For Professionals Working From Home To Make Their Background Lighting For Video Calls 100 Times Better In Under An Hour
Boring backgrounds are a plague on video calls, which are here to stay, even as most people return to the office more frequently.
The only thing worse than a boring background is the terrible blur or generated image filtered backgrounds. Lighting plays a huge role in how a space looks. Fortunately, with some simple and inexpensive changes, you can completely transform your background, unless you just prefer to be boring.
Instead of settling for boring, here are 5 Easy Ways to MAKE your video background 100 times better in under an hour.
Way 1: Turn Your Overhead Light Off
Overhead lighting is always terrible, and I hate it (even when not on video calls).
Overhead lights are designed to light what you are working on, not to be a good video light. If you do nothing else, turning off the overhead will make everything look better (assuming you have a lamp or natural light from a window to remain visible).
Way 2: Add A Monitor Lightbar
I can already hear you, "But David, a monitor light won't even be seen!"
While it won't be directly seen, a monitor lightbar will help keep your face visible and even out inconsistencies from natural light (or during the night). Plus, it helps with eye strain and takes up less space than a lamp only used for video calls.
Way 3: Shine Light Up The Wall
This is a tip I picked up from Disney World.
Almost all lights you see in backgrounds shine down, so shining from the ground up against the wall adds some nice shape and contrast while also being different. Upward lights also work extra well if you have some additional shapes to shine them through already in the room for even more texture.
Way 4: Include Accent Pops Of Color
Another thing I picked up from Disney World, specifically Galaxy's Edge (yes, shooting for at least 1 Star Wars reference in every article).
You don't have to overcomplicate it. You could just put a smart, color-changing bulb in your accent lights or add a hidden LED strip behind furniture. Bonus points if you use one color on one side and a different one on the other.
Way 5: Incorporate A Lit Obsession
So far, we haven't added anything other than light to what people see, so let's incorporate some personality.
Pull in one of your favorite obsessions and make sure to specifically light it. Many pieces have their own integrated lighting, but if not, put a small LED strip beneath it to give it its own pop.
