Who says using a webcam has to make you look clunky and raw? Treated right, you can get a simple elegance to your webcam videos.

And NONE of the little things you need to do are difficult.

So here’s how to get “the look”.

Equipment mentioned in this video:
The HDR Webcam
The Microphone
The Lights

And for more on the technique, click over to this video.

    9 replies to "How to Give Elegance to a Webcam"

    • Ron Ross

      Good stuff. Thank you!

    • Mike

      That’s great, Steven! Very helpful as I use a Logitech C920 a lot for my course videos.

      Quick question if you don’t mind:

      Are you using the tools you discussed in the video to film this video? The tools you recommend below the video?
      If so, I’m really doing something wrong! Haha…I have the lights and the camera and I record directly into Screenflow. The problem is I never get the same clarity in my videos that I see when I’m adjusting the camera settings and see a very clear and sharp picture on my screen.
      Not sure why?
      Do you think it’s a Screenflow problem or the most likely – user error!

      Thanks for all you do!

      Mike

      • Steven Washer

        I doubt you are doing anything egregiously wrong, but I would try recording in Quicktime instead of Screenflow. Screenflow picks up other information than just the video signal, and that can cause rendering problems. And do pay special attention to the lighting. I can’t emphasize that too much.

        • MIke

          Thanks, Steven! I’ll try that!

          And nice use of the word “egregiously”! That’s a mouth full!

    • Dave Pipitone

      Hi Steve, thanks for sharing this valuable information!

      I looked at the light you recommended. How do you position it for the best lighting?

      I have a window just to the left of my computer screen; would I use both for the best lighting?

      • Steven Washer

        Hi Dave! Long time no see. You’re looking good!
        As to your window, this is a game of inches, so I could say without seeing it. Just try to get rid of shadows that don’t look natural for now. That should be good enough. And if you use those light panels, position them about 2 feet from your face for best results.
        Hope that helps!

        • Steven Washer

          I meant to write “couldn’t say” without seeing it. Sorry for the fingers flying faster than the brain.

        • Dave Pipitone

          Thanks, Steve. I’d like to try the webcam approach and see what comes of it. I’ll experiment with the window light for now and see if I need the additional lighting. I have a PC, would recording with Camtasia 2019 on a PC be good recording software?

          • Steven Washer

            Well, that is what it’s partially designed for, so why not?

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.