Ceiling Lights Help

Homescreens & Office Setups
1

For those that spend a lot of time on video calls, what type of ceiling lighting do you have? and are you happy with the setup?

I have been working from home for 17 years and never have I been on so many video conference calls. I’m about to switch jobs and expect to spend even more time video conferencing. I’d rather not go the route of the YouTube people with all the lights in their faces but prefer to light the room better. Currently I have a ceiling fan with a few bulbs underneath it that have all sorts of glare issues. I’m thinking about recessed lights. The office is 10x12. The natural light is blinding due to the way the room faces so the shades are usually down.

Thanks for any advice.

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2

I have no ceiling lighting and that seems to work really well, just window blinds opened enough to not be too strong and desk lighting behind me at a medium temperature to give some depth. If it’s night I have two stand lamps that I can position around if necessary.

3

Get some sheers for your windows. It’s not about the type of light you have but how you diffuse it.

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4

I have Philips Hue lights in my ceiling so I can adjust the colour temperature depending on the time of day and the amount of daylight coming in. Set up a few profiles for fast switching if needed.

Ceiling lights rarely work well for video just by themselves. They will help lit the room but not create a nice camera effect.

You will likely need a light source in front of you (slightly raised from your face position works better than from below) and a light source shining on the wall/ceiling behind you to create some contrast.

5

Pairing Hue lights with IFTTT to automate the scene that activates when you start a video call through Zoom or other available services is part of my own workflow. It’s nice to not have to think about it after you create the right one.

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If you can afford recessed LED lighting, this along with a dimmer is amazing. Just got this done for a conference room at work that previously had fluorescent lights and it’s a huge upgrade. The dimmer is ideal for video calls where glare used to interfere. Even if you just got some recessed fixtures with smart bulbs that would also work I think.

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