First and foremost, it is important that the lighting in your conference room allows the camera to clearly see the people in the room. Proper lighting eliminates unwanted shadows.
Harsh shadows, glares and reflections direct attention away from conference call attendees. Lighting that clearly illuminates faces minimizes distractions and keeps everyone focused on the speaker and the meeting at hand.
Colors can be impacted by lighting sources that are too warm or too cool in color temperature. Even with the sophisticated auto white balance features in modern conference room camera systems, unrealistic color values can present frustrating challenges for industries that rely heavily on visual designs. Proper lighting reveals the true colors of objects in the camera.
High quality images rely on more than just the camera’s resolution. Adequate lighting eliminates any potential noise or “grain” and other undesirable artifacts associated with underexposed digital images.
Avoid using bare bulbs in your video conference room lighting. A lampshade or a diffuser will reduce harsh shadows and soften the lighting in the room. Contrary to popular belief, the closer a source is to a subject, the softer the shadows will play on that subject. So if a lamp is too harsh, bring it closer to you. This may help boost the camera’s exposure on your face as well. Balance natural lighting with properly placed soft white lamps to create a pleasing ambience in the room.
Sitting with your back to a window or bright light source can negatively impact the quality of the video call by giving you a harsh silhouette effect. Whenever possible, sit facing the window, desk lamp, or other light source to ensure your face is well illuminated and clearly visible.