Light-up Like a Rockstar

Lighting as easy as 1 - 2 - 3

As an advisor hosting a webinar, or merely connecting with clients via zoom calls, you don’t want your poorly lit face to be what participants remember. If your audience is distracted, you can almost guarantee that your efforts for organizing a digital meet-up are in vain.

Kalli Collective’s video producer, Jesse Couch, spills the beans on the trade secret of how to light-up like a rockstar in this tell-all article.

Not sure what to use? Download our video equipment cheatsheet!

Lighting can be reduced down to a very simple concept - a “three point light system.”

As you’re looking forward into your camera, put two lights (each at a 45 degree angle) off to each side of your camera (or phone, or laptop, or whatever you’re using to record). Make sure your lights are at least high enough in height that they are at eye level for you when you are sitting or standing. A little taller is even better. If your lamps are too short, you can put books under them for extra height.

Why can’t you use one instead of two?

One light will leave your face looking quite unflattering. If you have only one light directly in front of you, your face will appear rather flat. If you move the light to one side, your nose and chin will cast shadows opposite the light. Two lights however, is where the magic is. Two lights will eliminate shadows from the other, and any light can suffice, a “ring light” or even a table lamp.

You’ve set up your two lights… but, it’s not looking flattering.

Your face is completely blown out (it’s too white without any depth), or it’s dark with little contrast. An easy fix to these common issues is to move the light sources (still at a 45 degree angle from your screen) closer or further away from you. See if this helps soften the glare on your face or brighten you up, as needed.

Another helpful tactic is to make sure your table lamp has a shade on it. You can also use something like a thin sheet over a lampshade to help diffuse the light and lessen the harshness of the bulb - just be mindful the sheet is not in direct contact with the bulb or getting too hot. We don’t want a fire hazard. If you’re shooting from a laptop, turn down the brightness on your computer screen as much as you can. Let the light sources you’ve set up do the job instead. One final trick, if all else fails, is to point a light that is too bright up at the ceiling or over at a wall to “bounce” the light back at you.

Finally, our third light in our “three point light system” is a backlight.

A backlight can be as simple as a window at a 45 degree angle behind you. This light is casting a small bit of illumination on the side of your face and the back of your head. This source helps separate you from the background, so that you are not blending in with or getting lost in it. If you are using a window for this third light, try to have a thin or sheer curtain drawn, to help diffuse the light so that it is not too bright and harsh on the side of your face and back of your head. Our goal is ambient light to avoid harsh shadows.

No window? No problem.

Sometimes a small, simple table lamp in the background can help brighten up what’s behind you. Try not to pick something that will be too bright or distracting, thus taking away the focus on you. Just a nice accent piece. Brightening up the background can help you not disappear into a void of darkness behind you. Plus, it can be more pleasing to look at.

Make sure you’re not using any harsh overhead fluorescents or ceiling fan lights. These will cast unflattering shadows on your face.

In Closing

Now that you have some DIY remedies at your disposal, try them out. See what flatters your face the best. The “three point light system” is to help control light to show you off in the best way possible.

Light-up Like a Rockstar

Lighting as easy as 1 - 2 - 3

Lighting can be reduced down to a very simple concept - a “three point light system.”

Why can’t you use one instead of two?

You’ve set up your two lights… but, it’s not looking flattering.

Finally, our third light in our “three point light system” is a backlight.

No window? No problem.

In Closing

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