4 Basic Tips to Improve Your Lives and Video Streams
Hi, and welcome to our 1st episode of Tech Psychology, where we sort your tech issues together.
Today’s topic is, 4 basic tips to improve your live streams; it doesn’t matter if it’s Zoom, Teams, Facebook, or YouTube.
#1 Nailing Your Exposure
We have seen several videos and lives where the subject is either too dark or too bright; overexposed or underexposed as we call it.
This is hugely caused by recording in a room that is not properly well lit or with the camera facing a harsh light source such as the sun.
To combat this, you should place yourself where the light source is somewhat facing you as we did in the shots below.
Sometimes planning your lives or video recording on a different time of day helps when the sun is too harsh to deal with.
Natural Light Image 1
Natural Light Image 2
But then you are thinking, “Mark my business or job requires me to be ready at any time to do a live stream”. And This brings us to:-
#2 Use a Video Light.
Now why a video light Mark? I don’t have money for that, plus what happened to the light in my room?
If you really want to improve your video quality, before upgrading to a new camera, laptop or phone, you should consider getting yourself a video light like this US$38. Viltrox light.
Just take a look at this shot this was recorded on my 4-year-old, crack on the screen Samsung S8 and the other was shot with a modern mirrorless camera. As you see the difference is small
Samsung S8
Mirrorless Camera
With the video light, you can adjust the brightness and the placement of the light to properly light yourself or the subject according to the camera’s dynamic range.
Dynamic What?????
Each and every camera has a certain amount of dynamic range, which is the range between the brightest and darkest elements your camera can capture without losing detail.
If the light is too bright the darker parts of the image will become black; if its too dim it will introduce noise to your video.
Plus remember I told you not to have the window behind you, well with a video light, you can light yourself to match the window.
Our Video Light Recommendations
PAID LINKS
#3 Use a Tripod or Laptop Stand
For phone users, you can get a phone holder and place your phone on the tripod. No more shaky videos and watching up people’s nose.
Our Tripod and Laptop Stand Recommendations
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#4 Use a Microphone or Headset When Live Streaming
Audio is half of the video viewing experience. Having the microphone closer to you, will drastically improve your audio quality. This will assist apps such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Facebook to better isolate you from the noise around you and it also keep the other party from hearing themselves via your speakers.
Our Microphone and Headset Recommendations
PAID LINKS
Bonus Tip
When live streaming it is advised to keep close to your Wifi router or plug directly into your device if you can.
