With working from home the new normal now, many women spend a lot of time each week on video conferencing – for work; romantic date-chats; seminars and Q&A in streamed presentations.
Here is how to make a fantastic visual impression from the very first click.
1. Create the perfect setting
There are three important things to remember when creating the perfect setting for a video chat: appropriate lighting, a suitable background and a sense of orderliness.
Set up multiple sources of light and make sure the light is never pointed directly at you.
The best position for a light source is behind the desktop or laptop screen. Make sure the lighting has warmer tones instead of the bright, luminous, commercial lighting most commonly used.
Skin imperfections are more visible in bright light or can create the impression of greasy skin.
A bright light cast under the eyes will make the individual appear to have fatigued, baggy eyes, or worse, will make them appear wrinkly and old.
With a bit of planning, it is quick and easy to create a suitable background.
Strive for simplicity and elegance. The people you are chatting with should not be distracted.
A plain, dark-coloured background is a better choice than a multi-coloured one with a range of dark and light colours combined with patterns that may cast shadows onto your face.
Make sure the background – and that means anything that fellow chatters can see behind and around you – is clean and tidy. A disorderly background is distracting.
2. Polish your appearance
Two important aspects of your appearance while video chatting are your style of clothing and careful application of makeup.
Dress in a contrasting colour to the background and make sure your outfit is not too light in colour.
Avoid wearing patterns (especially bright ones) unless they work well with the background. Do not wear glossy fabrics to prevent dark shadows being cast onto your skin.
Wear as little jewellery as possible so your video chat partner is not distracted.
Brighten up your face with some cosmetics. Emphasise your beautiful appearance with foundation, contouring pencils and concealer.
Ensure your makeup is not too thick or dark. A bright shade of lipstick will make your face look bright and lively and draw attention right to where it is wanted.
3. Position yourself correctly
Set the camera to capture the most flattering angle of your face. Maintain eye contact, sit up straight and ensure your upper body stays within the screen’s frame.
Do not point the camera upwards from below your face. This will make it seem broader than it actually is. And you certainly do not want to show off your nostrils or make it look like you have a double chin.
Set up the camera to point level with your forehead or projecting downwards from a higher platform. Then your face will appear normal, or it may even look much slimmer than it actually is.
Always maintain direct eye contact with fellow chatters. Look into the camera. Suppress the temptation to watch the preview box at the bottom of the screen.
It is best to turn it off so the preview box does not appear at all. If you do not look directly at the viewer, it will seem as if you are not interested in the conversation. It might even offend the others involved.
Position the camera so your upper body is included within the frame of the screen. Sit up straight so both your face and upper body can be seen.
Do a practice test with a close friend. They can honestly review how you appear in the video chat.
They can also critique the quality of the video and sound, as well as draw attention to any random issues that might annoy or distract a video chat partner.
This article first appeared in The New Savvy
The New Savvy is Asia’s leading financial, investments and career platform for women. Our bold vision is to empower 100 million women to achieve financial happiness. We deliver high-quality content through conferences, e-learning platforms, personal finance apps and e-commerce stores.
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