In our new normal of the COVID-19 era, many of us have turned to the webcam and video meetings in place of school, work conferences, and many of us are spending our days on video conferences hosted by Zoom, Hangouts, Skype, FaceTime, WebEx and the like.

And many of you are probably looking into the picture window at yourself and saying, “Really? I look that bad?”
It doesn’t have to be that way. Florida photographer Larry Becker, who just wrote a book about how to improve our appearance called “Great on Camera,” gives six tips to improve your image.

Appearance

Start with the basics. Comb your hair, shave your face or apply your makeup and think strategically about your clothing. Wearing a really busy plaid or patterned outfit will make the viewers’ eyes go numb. A plain, solid color will help bring out the best you. However, Becker says to steer clear of shirts that are bright white or dark black because they look like a “blob” on camera.

Lighting

Here’s where most people fail in web conferences. They have what Becker calls “Shady Face,” that is, half of their face is shaded or blocked in some way. He recommends having one steady lamp, directly by your face, for even, steady lighting. No sidelight or backlight, please, he adds. He suggests, as we have several times, to avoid sitting with your back to the window, as the camera will expose for the light and make you into a silhouette. Instead, flip it, and face the window, which will give you soft, people-pleasing light.

Background

You want people focusing on your face, not on what’s behind you. Many people like to be photographed in front of a bookshelf, but Becker says sometimes the “trinkets” on the shelf will cause distractions. He likes it “plain and simple,” like blank walls, or a wall with nothing but one piece of art hanging. Becker photographs himself in front of bricks, which he calls “boring” and thus non-distracting.

Perspective

Here’s the biggest no-no. Get rid of what he calls “wide-angle face.” The cameras on smartphones and webcams are wide-angle. So if you get too close to it, you will look distorted. In other words, step back from the camera. “The closer you are to a wide-angle, the more distorted you are.”

Eye Level

Don’t have the webcam looking up at you, because that will turn you into “Look up my nostrils dude.” Let’s put it this way. The camera under the face is the oldest unflattering look in the books. It’s what director James Whale did in the original 1931 “Frankenstein” movie to make the monster look more menacing. Some people recommend having the camera look down at you, but Becker doesn’t buy it. “Eye to eye contact is the best connection.” Look at that camera directly, straight ahead. How to do that when the webcam is physically below your eye? Stack a bunch of books under your laptop until you see the webcam eye to eye.