Make Remote Work Work For You
Part 4: Lights, Camera, Action!

Lights, Camera, Action! Whether you are interviewing via Zoom or conducting virtual client meetings, your background, lighting, and camera angles can affect how others in your meeting perceive you. In the before times, how we dressed or styled our hair changed others’ perceptions. In present times, our virtual setup can have a similar effect.

Find a Neutral Background 

Working from home has us holed up in all corners of our homes. Whether your workspace is the dining room table, a home office, or a closet doesn’t matter. What matters is that your viewers have a neutral view without any glaring visual distractions.  

The best background is so neutral and bland that your client or interviewer doesn’t even notice it. Finding a blank wall as a background isn’t always easy, so don’t be afraid to designate a spot in your house as your “on-camera” space 

If an interviewer can see piles of unfolded laundry, an unmade bed, or dirty dishes, your background can become a distraction or negatively reflect you and your talents. This doesn’t mean that you must have a company-clean house at all times, but some careful planning does help. 

Before you need to be on camera, turn on your webcam and give your background a careful look. Where are the in-frame boundaries? Sliding unsightly or distracting items out of the way, even just temporarily, might be the perfect fix.  

If you cannot cultivate a distinct on-camera space, investing in a plain white webcam background screen might be your best bet. With portable options for easy storage, buying a background screen eliminates worry and presents a simple, neutral background. 

Light It Up 

Lighting is another detail that is easy to forget until it’s too late. With the shortened winter days upon us, we might find ourselves in the dark more often than not. Being well-lit is vital when you want your first impression on camera to be capable, put-together, and professional. 

Natural lighting is always best, but we can’t all work facing a south-oriented window. Investing in a small lamp or ring light helps keep shadows at bay. If you have a window behind your desk, having a light in front of you helps cancel backlighting. 

As a bonus, working in a well-lit room can also ease eye strain from staring at bright screens all day.  

Show Off Your Angles 

Having your camera lifted and looking straight forward or slightly down at you is more professional than a tilted camera pointing up. Your camera angle should be natural and allow for conversational ease. If all your audience can see is the top of your head or straight up your nose, you might want to play around with your camera configuration. 

Stacking your computer on a few books or investing in a monitor stand will be more ergonomic and allow the interviewer or client to see your face and expressions in full. 

Are you new to remote work?

Or perhaps you’re a remote worker struggling to maintain a schedule and an air of professionalism? Don’t worry; as a consulting company with an entirely remote workforce, we’ve picked up some tips along the way.

Photo by Good Faces on Unsplash