So you’re all set to join your video meeting, but you’ve finally realized—your camera angle isn’t very flattering, is it? Like most people, you probably just placed your camera on your desk without much thought, but the camera angle that produces isn’t the most pleasant to look at. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to fix the dreaded up the nose camera angle.
Fixing the Angle
When it comes to solving this issue, the best fix is also the easiest: Raise the camera. The camera itself, ideally, should be a bit above eye level for a nice angle. If you’re using a tablet or phone, the simplest way to fix your issue is to just hold the device higher. But if you’re using a laptop, or just don’t want to hold your device up for the whole meeting, there are still some things you can do to improve things.
Raise Your Device
There are a few ways to easily raise your camera, but if you want to avoid purchasing any extra equipment then simply stacking some books, using a cardboard box, or using a taller surface than you currently are should do the trick.
Besides that, monitor stands are designed to raise devices, are usually adjustable, and they have the added bonus of improving the ergonomics of your desk setup. Arms and mounts also work excellently for raising your device, but they require a slightly more involved setup, usually needing to be clamped onto a surface. For phones and tablets, there are plenty of choices that enable you to position the device however you want—this can also make watching the video call a more comfortable experience for you as well. Lamicall makes some excellent arms for phones and tablets which are highly adjustable and should support most models.
When it comes to laptops, you need to make sure the mount you’re purchasing is outfitted for the respective size and weight of your laptop. Either of those being off will be disastrous, and might leave you with more than just a camera angle that needs to be fixed. WALI manufactures a simple, but sturdy laptop arm able to supports laptops under 22 pounds.
Adjust Your Webcam
If you’re on a desktop PC, you’re likely already using a dedicated webcam, which grants a lot more freedom in the camera’s placement. Placing the webcam on top of your monitor usually works—especially if you have your monitor on a stand, but you can easily set it up on a stand or tripod for added height (these will be webcam specific). Just be careful, if you’re also depending on the webcam for your microphone you don’t want it too far away for the sake of clear audio.
If you need to pick up a good camera, we recommend the popular Logitech C920. Unfortunately, there’s no way to connect a webcam to a phone or tablet, so you’ll need to go with one of the previously mentioned ideas instead.
Software Solutions
This is another suggestion for laptop and desktop users—see if your webcam came with any software to edit it. If you drastically change where your webcam is located and how it’s angled, chances are some stuff may now be in the camera’s view you don’t want to be broadcasted.
Many webcams have software you can download to adjust their cropping and framing. While this won’t single-handedly fix a camera angle issue, it can help to make sure that what you want in frame is the only stuff in frame.
It can take a lot to look your best on a video call, but at the end of the day, the effort will be worth it. This year, video calls have been the main means of communication for a lot of us, so making sure it’s a good experience for yourself and the people you’re speaking to is important. And with just one of the suggestions we’ve listed here, your camera angle woes should be solved.
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