Due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) many Americans are now working remotely. The Government Information Center compiled a few tips and tricks to help remote employees get the most out of their video conferencing experiences. Download the tips as a PDF Opens in new window.

Use proper lighting

Have your brightest light in front of you. This can be a dedicated video light, nearby lamp or open window.

Use backlighting

If you have a bright light behind you, it will often make your face darker. Avoid sitting with a window or bright light behind you.

Check your background

Along with bright light, check to make sure there isn’t anything else that shouldn’t be in your background.

Forget to angle the camera

You want your webcam at eye level so you are looking relatively straight ahead. If needed, raise your laptop, desktop or camera by stacking books or other objects to bring it to a more natural height. You don’t want look down into the camera causing viewers to look up your nose.

Check yourself

Preview your video before going live and make sure you are dressed properly for the event. Once you’re ready, don’t sit too close to the camera. You should be far enough away to have your head and shoulders in view. Don’t fill the frame entirely with your head.

Use other applications

Your mic will pick up sounds coming from your computer. Close Outlook, Slack, and other applications that make audible notifications to prevent them from coming through the call.