If you want to look better on video chat, the most important upgrade is not a new webcam or phone. It is light. A cheap camera in good light will almost always look better than an expensive camera in bad light. Cameras, especially the small ones in laptops and phones, need plenty of light to produce a clear, sharp and natural-looking image. When there is not enough, they compensate by boosting the signal, which creates grain, blur and muddy colours, and video compression makes it look worse still.
This guide explains the basics of lighting for video chat and shows how to get great results using light you already have, plus a few very cheap options if you want to go further.
The three rules of video lighting
Almost everything comes down to three rules:
- Light should be in front of you, not behind you.
- Soft light is more flattering than harsh light.
- Your face should be the brightest thing in the frame.
Follow these three and you are most of the way there.
Rule 1: Face the light
The most common lighting mistake is sitting with a window or bright lamp behind you. Your camera adjusts to the bright background and your face becomes a dark silhouette. On random video chat, where people decide in seconds whether to stay, being a shadow is a quick way to get skipped. We cover why in the first 10 seconds of video chat.
The fix is to turn around. Sit facing the window or light source, with your camera between you and the light. Your face will be evenly lit, your eyes will have a little sparkle, and your camera will stop struggling.
If you cannot move your desk, even turning it sideways so the window is to one side helps. Light from the side gives a more dramatic look, with one side of your face brighter than the other, which can look good if it is not too extreme.
Rule 2: Soften the light
Direct sunlight or a bare bulb creates harsh shadows under your eyes, nose and chin, and can make you squint. Soft light, which comes from a large source or is diffused, wraps around your face and smooths out shadows.
Free ways to soften light
- Use a window with indirect daylight, rather than one with sun shining straight through.
- Hang a thin white curtain or sheet over a sunny window to diffuse it.
- Bounce light off a wall. Point a lamp at a white wall in front of you instead of at your face.
- Put a lamp behind a sheet of white paper or baking paper, keeping it a safe distance from hot bulbs.
Rule 3: Your face should be brightest
If a bright lamp, a television or a window is visible in your background, your camera will expose for it, leaving your face darker. Keep bright light sources out of the frame, or at least make sure your face is lit more strongly than they are.
Room-by-room setups
Daytime with a window
Sit facing the window with the camera in front of you. If it is very bright, draw a thin curtain. This is often the best possible light, and it is free.
Evening with ceiling lights only
Overhead ceiling lights create shadows in your eye sockets and a tired look. Add a lamp in front of you, slightly above eye level, pointed toward you or toward the wall behind your screen. Even a simple desk lamp transforms the image.
Using your screen as a light
In a dark room, your screen already lights your face. You can boost this by opening a blank white page in another window positioned behind your chat window, or by increasing screen brightness. It is not perfect, and it can give your face a blue tint, but in a pinch it helps.
Cheap upgrades worth considering
If you chat regularly and want a consistent look any time of day, a few inexpensive items help:
- A clip-on or small LED panel light, ideally with adjustable brightness and colour temperature. Place it behind or above your screen, facing you.
- A ring light. Popular for a reason: it gives even, front-facing light. Choose a modest size and place it behind your camera. Keep brightness moderate to avoid a washed-out look.
- Warm-white bulbs. Replacing a cold, bluish bulb in your desk lamp with a warm-white one gives your skin a more natural tone.
None of these need to be expensive. Many good options cost less than a takeaway meal.
Colour temperature
Light has colour. Daylight is bluish, many household bulbs are yellowish, and mixing them can make your face look oddly tinted, with one side blue and the other orange. Where possible, stick to one type of light. In the day, use the window and switch off yellow lamps. At night, use similar bulbs for all your lights. If your lamp has adjustable colour temperature, a neutral or slightly warm setting usually looks most natural.
Common problems and quick fixes
- Face too dark, background bright: Turn to face the light; close blinds behind you.
- Grainy, noisy video: Add more light. Grain is almost always a low-light problem.
- Harsh shadows under the eyes: Lower the light slightly and diffuse it; avoid overhead-only lighting.
- Shiny forehead: Light is too direct and harsh; soften or move it slightly to the side.
- Glare on glasses: Raise the light higher or move it to the side, so the reflection angles away from the camera.
- Weird colour tint: Mixed light sources; switch off one type.
Lighting and privacy
Good lighting and good privacy work together. Sitting facing a window usually means the window is behind your camera and out of frame, so strangers cannot see the view outside, which can reveal your location. Our article on what your background reveals explains this in more detail.
Don't forget the camera itself
- Wipe the lens. Phone and laptop cameras collect fingerprints and dust. A quick wipe with a soft cloth can make a dramatic difference.
- Raise the camera to eye level. Light and angle work together. See camera angle and framing.
Final thought
Good lighting is the cheapest, fastest way to look better and more engaged on video. It makes you easier to see, easier to read and more approachable, which leads to more and better conversations. Start with the window you already have, face it, soften it, and see the difference in your very next chat.