Do you take selfies or videos, or use Zoom for your business? Make sure you watch your angles! Here are a few tips to quickly improve your photos and videos!
Left shot – shooting your camera from below is unflattering, particularly emphasised when you look up. You also see a lot of ceilings which looks odd. You’ll get this look when you use your laptop webcam sitting directly on your desk. Buy a separate webcam or prop up the laptop to a better height.
The middle shot is better. It’s shot at eye level and looking at the camera lens, but the camera is too close. When shooting too close especially if the lens is wide-angle, you’ll tend to get your nose, chin and forehead disproportionately large as they’re closest to the camera.
The final shot is an improvement. It’s shot slightly above so it’s the most flattering, and you lose your double chins! It’s a more suitable distance at arms’ length, removing facial distortions allowing for a more natural picture.
Do watch the background though, as you’ll have more of it visible. These images were taken handheld. Ideally, shoot on a tripod with a self-timer.
Lighting wise, I have front lighting from my monitor, as well as a strong side light and weaker afternoon window light. The front lighting helps separate me from the background. However, there’s too much light from my right. To fix that I could move the sidelight further away, adjust the brightness down, move it to my left side, add a light to my left or put up a reflector on that side. Alternatively, I could reposition myself or rearrange the room to face the natural window light.
Hopefully, you can use some of these tips for better photos, videos and even Zooms!
Jane Tweedy 0490 102 194 [email protected] Western Sydney Business Centre
