4 proven lighting tips for teaching online

Online teaching has some requirements to maximize the efficiency of the learning process. Lighting shows how professional you look on camera and how much you care about your teaching. If your trainees can’t see you, then it will be hard for them to understand you fully.

Here are 4 lighting tips to help you create the perfect look on your camera as a trainer.

1. The direction of the light

When you put yourself up against the light, you will seem like a shadow, and this will block the trainees from seeing you properly. Make sure you place your light properly to prevent such issues. If you want to get a direct beam of light, you can put the light in front of you. Students can see your expressions clearly and understand better this way.

This is necessary both when you use natural light and artificial light.

2. Finding the right artificial light

If you want to use artificial light for teaching online, you need to create a dark workspace so that the light functions properly. If you have blackout curtains, close them and set your lighting in the correct direction.

Types of artificial lights

There are different types of artificial lights that you can use effectively during online teaching. Here are some of them:

• Desk Lamps: Desk lamps are the most common ones since they are easy to find and set up. The lights are usually placed on the table, and if they are adjustable, you can sometimes change the direction of the lights.
• Ring Lights: There are various types of ring lights, such as small, large, or adjustable ones. They are a bit expensive as they are trendy nowadays. In addition, they are also very easy to use for trainers, which makes them an effective tool. They are mostly used on the floor and with tripods. So, they are more flexible as you can change their places easily.
• Adjustable Lights: These are great lamps, especially when you need to show something during the course. Adjustable lights enable you to change the light’s position easily whenever you want to show something. This might be a desk lamp or a ring light, but all of the adjustable lights provide convenience for trainers.
• Floor Lamps: Floor lamps are also great options for teachers. They diffuse the light better and don’t strain your eyes as they are not positioned directly on your face. Most of them have covers around the light, and this way, the light won’t hit you in the eye.

Here, you can see different types of lights to use during online classes. But which one do you think is more efficient and affordable? Let’s take a look.

The most efficient and affordable light type

Adjustable lights might be good for flexibility, but they are also more expensive than the usual ones. Plus, most of them are not designed to light one place, such as your face. They will light up everywhere, including your face, but it’s not something we want. Your face should be clearly visible.

Desk lamps and floor lamps are also hard to locate every time as they are quite bigger than other types of lights.

Ring lights, especially the small ones, can be the best options for online trainers as they are affordable and very easy to adapt to the course flow. They are designed to light one point, such as your face as well. You can carry small ring lights with you if you want to teach outside of your home. Also, their brightness is easily adjusted.

The only disadvantage of small ring lights is that they don’t have different height options, so you can only use them from the same perspective. In spite of that, it is perfect to place next to your laptop since their heights are almost the same.

3. Color of the light

White is usually the best color for lighting during online teaching as it creates a good look on the camera. It is bright and flat, making it easier to see.

However, using different colors on your lamps will create an interesting and funny environment during your class.

It is important to create a balance between being interesting and professional. So it would be better if you could use different colors for your background and white for your face. This is because your face needs to be seen clearly, but your background makes the class more interesting.

4. Invest in the right tools

If you are a full-time online teacher or do teaching as a profession, it would be better for you to have the right tools in order to be professional.

For your lighting setup, you can get ring lights, greenscreen, blackout curtains, and a good camera. These are the most essential tools for your lighting setup as well as your camera setup. These two setups are linked to each other. This way, the teaching process is carried out smoothly.

To sum up, we can say that adjustable lights in terms of brightness and flexibility are the best options for online trainers. You should also use white lighting designed to illuminate one point so that your trainees can see you.

Don’t forget to place your lights in the right way, and use the most affordable yet effective lighting tools to enhance the online teaching process.