Looking good on camera: The dos and don’ts

We’ve all been there — the mirror says you look like a superstar, but the camera tells a different story. 

The problem with cameras is that they perceive reality much differently than our own eyes, which means it’s easy to look good in person but bad on camera. Let’s look at some of the “dos” and “don’ts” of being on camera so you can look like a superstar in the mirror and on camera.

Don’t

Wear busy and repeating patterns (including ties):

Especially ties. Ties are notorious for having small repeating and detailed patterns, and those can be the worst on camera. If you’e ever seen it, you know what I mean by the pattern “vibrates” in the video. However, not all busy patterns will look bad on camera — so if your absolute favorite shirt has a pattern on it, don’t be afraid to try it out on camera before eliminating it as an option.

Wear any form of green:

It is vital to avoid wearing green when shooting in front of a greenscreen — you could run into problems with your shirt disappearing because of it being a similar color to the green background that gets keyed out. It’s also a good idea to just plainly avoid all green-colored shirts because light can bounce off of your shirt and give your skin a slight green tint. And the camera will pick up every bit of that green hue in your skin.

Wear these colors: deep black, bright whites, and nude.

These colors always cause problems for video cameras. Both the deep black and bright whites will be difficult for the camera to expose for. There is no issue with exposure when dealing with a nude color — however, I think we’ve all seen a random picture or video while scrolling through social media and thought we saw a shirtless person when they were actually wearing a nude-colored shirt.

Wear logos and graphic tees

Wearing logos can be okay if it’s your business’s logo, but avoid other logos and graphic tees like the plague. There’s nothing worse than having to reshoot a video because you realize the logo you were wearing didn’t match the message you were trying to convey. Graphic tees are acceptable only if your company is literally a T-shirt designer. Otherwise, avoid them at all costs.

Wear dangly or sparkly jewelry

Sparkly jewelry can be one of the most distracting things to see on camera. When the light bounces off of the jewelry and directly into the lens of the camera, it will appear completely overexposed, and may even cause a lens flare that one would expect to see when shooting into the sunlight. Dangly jewelry should be avoided as well, because the microphone will pick up every bit of clinking and clanking noise they create.

Do

Wear makeup

Even if you don’t normally wear makeup, this rule still applies to you. Don’t worry — you don’t have to be extravagant with it; foundation and/or powder might be enough. Without it, you’ll look like a glistening glass statue to the camera, and everyone will be able to see each bead of sweat sitting on your face. Gross, right? Even if you don’t want to, wear makeup. Trust me.

Wear rich, deep colors

These colors pop on camera and are flattering for nearly everyone. Deep colors typically bring warmth to your skin tone and can even make you appear more lively. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different colors on camera to see which work for you — skin tone, hair color, and eye color all play a role in which color suits you best.

Keep it simple

Unless you are creating a video about an upcoming fashion trend, stick to simple and classic clothing styles that have proven to stand the test of time. Typically, you’ll want to be able to use the videos in which you’re starring for several years. And you don’t want your outfit to appear outdated just three months after the video was shot, right?

Pay attention to your background

The colors and tone of the background in the video will change what colors you should wear. Your clothes shouldn’t blend into the background, so wear something that offers some contrast. The brightness of your background also matters — if you’re in a bright area, wearing a darker shade can help you stand out. In a dark area, be sure to wear something light.

Wear blue

It’s basically a scientific law at this point — the best color to wear on camera is blue. So if you’re in a pinch or aren’t sure what will look good, just grab two or three different blue-colored shirts and you should be good to go. But be sure to try out different shades of blue — again, many factors determine what shade works best for you and the video you’re in.

Be wrinkle-free

If you have followed all of the dos and don’ts listed, but your shirt has a bunch of wrinkles, you’ll still appear unprepared and unprofessional on camera. Who wants that? And unless your grandma comes to the shoot with you, wrinkles are not easy to remove quickly on set. So before you leave for your shoot, be sure to inspect your clothing for those pesky wrinkles.

Now that you’re ready to be a superstar on camera, contact us to start planning your shoot!