In addition to having a great webcam, you need to remember that lighting is a REALLY important factor in looking your best on cam (and making that cash!). If you ever see a girl who’s ‘glowing’ and looking beautiful and clear, it’s likely that she is using special studio lights. No worries, they are not that complicated and can be bought on Amazon! So, what are the best lights to use while camming? This diagram shows that you ideally need 3 lights to light yourself with, also called the “3 Point Lighting Setup”.
LIGHTING SETUP
I would say that 2 specialty umbrella lights (“key” light and “fill” light) and your room’s overheard light or sunlight from a window (“back” light) will be enough and will give you a GREAT advantage over someone without extra equipment. Don’t overthink it too much, just make sure you’ve got a few umbrella lights illuminating you.
Here is my Number 1 suggestion for lights to use on cam:
LimoStudio-Photography Photo Portrait Studio 600W Day Light Umbrella Continuous Lighting Kit
As I mentioned, the difference will be amazing! These umbrella lights showcase your features, and all the shadows that make you look old, dull and not as attractive will disappear! It’s the investment that will give you the most return for the money.
This kit includes everything seen in the photo above:
- 2 Tall stands with bulbs & umbrellas
- 1 Short stand with bulb
- Umbrella carrying case
- Bulb carrying case
To try something different and to give yourself a warm, sunny glow, you need a GOLD umbrella. I recommend using this one:
CowboyStudio 43in Black & Gold Photo Studio Umbrella
This umbrella can be interchanged with the white ones from the lighting kit and you can create your perfect lighting, either with using one white and one gold umbrella or even with 2 gold ones!
Another good option is to get this kit, which includes two white umbrellas and a gold one, so you can try out different options to see what works for you. It’s definitely the most versatile!
CowboyStudio Photo Studio Soft Reflective Umbrella Continuous Triple Lighting Kits, 600 Watt Output Kit
A very popular choice for camgirls are softboxes! They create beautifully diffused light and are used by professional photographers, so you know they’ll be great for cam.
My recommendation is this set by Limo Studio:
LimoStudio 700W Photography Softbox Light Lighting Kit Photo Equipment Soft Studio Light Softbox 24″X24
Play around with them and you will not regret this purchase. Along with a good webcam, lighting will make or break your camming, and good lighting will help you get started on the right foot! Good luck!
- Take a look at my post about the Top 3 Webcams to use for Camming and Top 3 Laptops to make sure you’ve got the best ones!