I'm a pretty boring YouTuber. My strategy is always to just create the most helpful, informative content possible (to my own detriment).
Most of my videos involve me sitting in front of my computer screen and recording my desktop.
I have no excuse to not get this one shot right!
However, getting the lighting right was a much longer process than I anticipated. I didn't even realize how bad my lighting was until I recently watched a bunch of my videos in one sitting.
It's taken me a long time, but I think I finally have created a lighting set up that is so good, I can recommend it to you guys and girls whether you make content for YouTube, TikTok, or whatever. Here it is:
The Webcam Lighting Products I Use
Here are the products I currently use for my webcam recording and lighting.
#1 Logitech Brio 4K Pro Camera
Good lighting is wasted if you don't have a high quality camera. This is the best traditional webcam I could get my hands on and it's lived up to the high reviews.
**A quick warning though!**
Many devices won't support recording in 4K. It's actually quite a pain to really get the full 4K resolution.
#2 Elgato Key Lights (Pair)
These are really neat. I can adjust the settings directly from my computer and can even turn them on and off with one tap on my StreamDeck (another awesome product worth checking out that I'll cover more down the road).
These are positioned to my left and right to balance the light on all sides of my face.
These cost $129 each, and there are cheaper alternatives, but these really are amazing, and the seamless integration with my iMac is well worth the extra cost to me.
# 3 Zumy Softbox
I bought this one just recently. I realized that the light from my monitor and the left and right key lights weren't cutting it. It attaches nicely to the back of my monitor and creates a really nice, warm light that fills my face well.
My Office and Layout
The lighting you go with will depend on the dimensions of your work area. My office is small at 9ft by 8 ft but has an 18 ft vaulted ceiling that makes it feel much roomier than it is.
I also have a glass door and window right behind me that isn't ideal during certain times of the day when the sun comes in and out.
The Lights in Action
I've toyed around with several combinations of lighting.
First, I have to choose whether to have my regular office overhead lights on or off.
Sorry for the stoic faces 🙂
I pulled these directly from a video stream and didn't want to redo them.
I hope that helps!
If you're on a budget, I'd suggest starting with the Zumy soft box light and then add on from there as you see fit.
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Best 4K WebCam
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Affordable but Instant Upgrade
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Next Level Desktop Lighting
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Nice Touch to Control Elgato Lights
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