I'm going to give you five tips from a professional photographer’s point of view, to make yourself look better and sound better on your next online meeting.
Number one, the most important thing you can do to improve the way you look on screen is to get a better camera angle. Most people work on a laptop and the camera is usually on the top of the screen.
That means if you're sitting in front of your computer, the camera is looking up at you. Most professional photographers would never photograph you from this angle because it's not flattering and makes your chin look wider and the view is basically up your nose. The simple solution is to raise the camera up.
This way, you're looking straight into the camera, or even better, looking slightly up to the camera. The easiest way to do this is to set your laptop on a stack of books. Or something secure while you're in your meeting, then slightly tilt the camera down towards you.
If you need to type in your meeting, consider using a wireless keyboard. That way it will look all awkward if you tried to reach up to your computer.
The second tip to improve your communication on your next zoom meeting is to look into the camera when you're speaking, not the screen. Most people will look at themselves on the screen while they talk. Now. It's not that everyone is so vain that they can't keep their eyes off themselves. It's because they're used to looking at the other person while they talk.
When you're looking at the screen, while you're talking to the viewer, it looks like you're looking to the side, find the camera on your computer, and it's usually at the top center of your laptop screen or on the side on an iPad. When it's your turn to talk, look directly into the camera and try not to stare at the screen.
The person on the other end will have a much more connected feel to you. This is not the easiest tip to accomplish, but try to talk INTO the camera instead of looking at your own face.
The third tip to consider is your lighting. The simple way to improve your lining is to use reflected light. Avoid light from only directly overhead, but opt to use some dedicated light source that you can illuminate your face with. Instead of pointing a hard light directly at you, make it softer by bouncing light off of something that's even in tone.
A white wall works perfectly. If you don't have a white wall, put up a temporary piece of white cardboard. Try to get something that's white or neutral in color. You don't want to use a strong color like red or blue because that might put a color cast on your face.
Another choice in lighting might be to face into a window on your next meeting. As long as the sun isn't streaming through, that should help the lighting on your face.
The fourth tip is to consider your background. Never face your camera into a window. The contrast is too much. These cameras on our devices are nice, but they can't differentiate that kind of contrast. If you face your camera into the window, it will create glare and make it very uncomfortable for the viewer to look at you.
Before you start. Take a quick look at what's behind you. You usually have some time from when you sign into the meetings, before they start. So, check out the room you are recording in and see if a few things need to be straightened up in the background.
Lastly, tip five, consider your sound. While most people don't have a dedicated microphone for this sort of thing, simply use the headset that came with your phone.
That should do the trick. The point is, is that the microphone on your headset will be next to your mouth instead of being relatively far away and actually back on the computer keyboard. When the microphone is closer to your mouth, you'll get a better sound because the mic won't be picking up so much extra room noise. As a bonus, since you're wearing your headphones, you're going to be able to hear the other speakers a lot better.
To summarize,
1) Raise the camera, which will likely mean raising your computer screen.
2) To talk directly into the camera.
3) Soften the light on your face.
4) Consider your background before you start.
5) Improve your sound.