We have all had to adjust these days to using Zoom or Facetime as a primary means to communicate for work, family, friends or OLLI classes. We turn on our cameras and show ourselves to the outside world on the small screen. I have had quite an awakening to how I appear to others in this setting. And many times, I can say that I don’t like what I see.
With this in mind, I set out to research what could solve this problem and make me look better. Perhaps a new hairstyle? A mini-facelift or all-out surgery instead? After doing this research and watching TV guests, I alight on a possible solution: better lighting!
Amazon, needless to say, offers many lighting solutions, varying in price from $10 to $200, including fluorescent, halogen and pink-colored, just to name a few. Didn’t the stars of yesteryear put cheesecloth in front of the camera? But where to buy that fabric and how to adhere it to an I-Pad, I wondered?
Pondering the options available, I happened to be in my local Dollar Store to pick up a few fall decorations to brighten my home and instead found a desk lamp on the shelf that looked quite promising. What could I lose for a dollar? I took it home and found it very much to my liking. I tried lighting the ceiling, the wall, and my face itself to get the most optimal lighting angles. Did I have a double chin this way or too many freckles? One angle might correct my dark undereye circles but accentuate the gray streaks in my hair.
Finally, I figured out how to position the lamp for a somewhat satisfactory compromise. It may sound a bit vain to you, but to me looking at me probably bothers me more than you looking at me. My Dollar Store solution was a cheap way to help restore my confidence in my online experience.
Sure was a lot cheaper than plastic surgery! I recommend it but, unfortunately, the Dollar Store is currently sold out of those lamps.
