Setting up for Video Calls

Setting up for video calls requires some effort and I’m actually getting kind of tired of it. This past year, I’ve spent almost every single day on my computer on some sort of video call, either for work or just spending time with friends. So when I can, I turn my video off for meetings or calls. I do this to take a mental break from the eye gymnastics of looking at myself (admit it, we all do it) and everyone else in the call at the same time. By the way, in Zoom, you can use hide self-view if you want to remove the temptation of viewing yourself!

Here are some tips I use while on video calls for the best quality and ease of viewing:

1. I have a 2020 Macbook Air (I did a YouTube review you can watch here). One downside to this particular Macbook is the poor camera quality. Therefore, I utilize a ring light to improve my video quality. The ring light I have includes 3 settings, but there are many other options you can choose from. It’s a great investment to quickly improve the quality of your video.

2. On Zoom, I like to maintain my view of other participants in the call while someone is screen sharing. To do this, I make sure I have the Side-by-Side view option enabled. And then I can drag the panel over to see more videos if I want to see more of the participants. You can view the instructions on how to do that here.

3. A laptop stand is also a great investment for video calls. It is important for ergonomic reasons to raise your laptop to eye level, but also for connecting to the video participants. And if you don’t have a laptop stand, you can use reams of paper or books to prop up your laptop and bring your camera to eye level.

There are many more tips to set up your video calls for success, but these three should get you started!