Cheap lighting for video interview recordings: a budget home setup
Cheap lighting for video interview recordings using a window or desk lamp you own, plus what to buy on a budget and how to fix dark faces and glare.
8 min read
Key takeaways
- Face a window or put a softened lamp in front of you, slightly above eye level and a little to one side.
- Never sit with a window or bright lamp behind you, or the camera will turn you into a silhouette.
- Soften a bare bulb with white paper or fabric, and bounce light into shadows with a white board or pillowcase.
- Use bulbs of the same color so your face does not look orange on one side and blue on the other.
- Record a short test on the same device you will use for the interview, and fix what you see before you start.
The cheapest good lighting for a video interview is a window in front of you, or a desk lamp you already own softened with something white. Face the light, keep bright windows and lamps out of the frame behind you, and you will look clear on camera without buying anything. If you want to spend a little, a small LED panel or a clamp light with a daylight bulb is usually a better buy than a ring light.
What is the cheapest lighting that actually looks good?
A window you face. Daylight is free, and it spreads softly across your whole face. Sit so the window is in front of you or slightly off to one side, with your laptop or phone between you and the glass. The camera then sets its brightness for your face instead of for a bright background.
The catch is that daylight changes. A spot that looks great at 10 a.m. can be dim by late afternoon, or harsh when the sun shines straight in. With a one-way video interview you can usually choose when you record, so pick a time when the window is bright but direct sun is not on you. Overcast days are ideal. On a sunny day, hang a thin white curtain or a white bedsheet over the window to spread the light out.
If you have no usable window, or you are recording at night, a desk lamp does the same job with a little help.
Where should the light go for a video interview?
Three rules cover most rooms.
- The main light goes in front of you, never behind. A window or lamp behind you turns your face into a dark shape.
- Put the light slightly above eye level and a little to one side. Light from a bit above looks natural. Light from below looks like someone telling a ghost story. Moving it off to one side by roughly 30 to 45 degrees gives your face some shape.
- Make the light big and soft. A bare bulb makes hard shadows and shiny skin. Light that bounces off a wall or passes through paper or fabric wraps around your face and hides texture.
How to light your face with one desk lamp
Place a desk lamp beside your laptop, about an arm's length from your face, angled toward you and a little higher than your eyes. Use an LED bulb, since it stays cool. Tape a sheet of white printer paper or parchment paper across the shade opening, leaving space so nothing touches the bulb. The paper turns a harsh point of light into a soft glow.
If your lamp has no shade to tape to, point it at a white wall in front of you and let the wall light your face. You lose some brightness, but the light gets much softer.
How to add a second light or a white board for fill
Use the window or the diffused lamp as your main light on one side. On the other side, add something to lift the shadows. That can be a second, dimmer lamp or a plain white surface, such as a sheet of foam board, a poster board, a pillowcase draped over a chair, or even an open white binder propped up just out of frame. It bounces some of the main light back onto the dark side of your face. Photographers call this fill light, and a white board does it for almost nothing.
A budget lighting setup in ten minutes
- Pick the spot. Find a place where you can face a window or an open wall, with a plain wall or a tidy shelf behind you.
- Turn off the overhead light if you can. Ceiling lights cast shadows under the eyes, nose, and chin. If it is your only light, leave it on and add a lamp in front.
- Raise the camera to eye level. Stack books under the laptop or use a phone stand. The lens should be about level with your eyes.
- Place the main light. Put the window in front of you, or set a diffused lamp at an angle, slightly above head height.
- Add fill. Put a white surface on the opposite side, out of the shot.
- Clear the background. Close blinds on any window in the frame and switch off lamps that show up behind you.
- Match your bulbs. If you use more than one lamp, use bulbs of the same color. A warm yellow bulb next to daylight makes one side of your face orange and the other side blue.
- Record a 20-second test and watch it back on the device you will actually use.
Budget lighting options compared
| Option | Cost | Good for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Window daylight | Free | Daytime recording, natural skin tones | Changes through the day, harsh in direct sun |
| Desk lamp with paper diffuser | Free if you own one | Night recording, any room | Warm bulbs can look orange, needs to be close |
| Lamp bounced off a white wall | Free | Soft, even light, people with glasses | Loses brightness, needs a light-colored wall |
| Clamp work light with daylight LED bulb | Low | Clipping to a shelf or chair at the right height | Bare bulb is harsh, always diffuse it |
| Small LED panel | Low | Adjustable brightness and color, small desks | Cheap ones can flicker, test before relying on it |
| Ring light | Low to moderate | Even front light, phone recording | Circle reflections in glasses and eyes, flat look |
| White board or pillowcase as fill | Free | Softening shadows on one side | Does nothing alone, needs a main light |
If you buy something, look for adjustable brightness and a daylight color setting, often labeled around 5000K to 5600K. A built-in diffuser saves you the paper trick. Check that the mount or clamp fits your desk, and prefer USB power so you are not hunting for an outlet.
Do you need a ring light for a video interview?
No. Plenty of people look fine on camera without one. A ring light puts even light on your face straight from the front, which fills in shadows and works well for phone recording. The downsides show up on camera as bright circles reflected in your eyes and glasses, and a flat look with little shape to your face.
If you already own one, place it behind your camera and a little above eye level. Then turn the brightness down until your face looks natural, not glowing. If you are shopping, a small LED panel placed off to one side usually gives your face more shape for similar money, and a window costs nothing.
How do you fix common lighting problems on camera?
Most issues show up in the first test recording. Find what you see in the left column.
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Face is dark, background is bright | Window or lamp behind you | Turn around to face the light, or close the blinds behind you |
| Glare on glasses | Light at the same height as your eyes, straight ahead | Raise the light and move it further to the side, or tilt your glasses down slightly |
| Face looks orange or yellow | Warm bulb | Swap to a daylight LED bulb, or turn off the warm lamp and use the window |
| One side orange, other side blue | Mixed light sources | Use one type of light, or match bulb colors |
| Dark circles under eyes | Overhead ceiling light | Turn it off and add a light in front of your face |
| Shiny forehead or nose | Bare, hard bulb too close | Diffuse it with paper or fabric, or bounce it off a wall |
| Half your face in shadow | Single light far to the side | Move the light more toward the front, or add a white board on the dark side |
| Picture flickers or has rolling bands | Some cheap LED or fluorescent lights | Try a different bulb, or rely on daylight |
| Grainy, muddy image | Not enough light overall | Add a lamp, move it closer, or record when the window is brightest |
Lighting for a phone or tablet interview
Front cameras on phones and tablets turn grainy quickly in dim light, so give them plenty of it. Put the device on a stand or a stack of books at eye level instead of holding it. A handheld phone shakes, and it usually ends up pointing up your nose.
The same rules apply. Face the window or a diffused lamp, keep bright light out of the background, and check the frame before you start. Skip the phone's flashlight as a light source. It is a tiny, harsh point that washes out your face. At night, a desk lamp bounced off the wall in front of you works better.
If your interview runs in the browser, as DeepHire's does on a laptop, tablet, or phone with nothing to download, the camera you test with is the camera you will record with. Do your test on that device.
Test your lighting before you record
You are not aiming for studio lighting. You want the recruiter to see your face clearly, with nothing pulling attention away from your answers. Check these points right before you start.
- Your eyes are easy to see, with no deep shadows underneath.
- No window or lamp shows in the frame behind you.
- Your skin looks like your skin, with no orange or blue cast.
- Your glasses show no large white reflections.
- The image is sharp, not grainy or smeared.
- The light will hold for the next 20 to 30 minutes. If you rely on daylight near sunset, add a lamp now.
Lighting is one piece of getting ready. For framing, audio checks, and practicing answers, see our guide on how to prepare for a one-way video interview.
If a recording comes out darker than you expected, fix the light before you redo it instead of trying again in the same spot. Recruiters decide how many retakes you get. On DeepHire the default is unlimited, though a recruiter can set a lower number, so read the instructions on your interview link before your first answer.
Frequently asked questions
How can I light my face for a video interview without buying anything?
Sit facing a window so daylight falls on your face, and keep any bright window out of the frame behind you. At night, put a desk lamp beside your screen, slightly above eye level, and tape white paper over it to soften the light.
Is a ring light worth it for a job interview on video?
It can help, but you do not need one. Ring lights give even front light but often cause circle reflections in eyes and glasses. A window or a diffused lamp placed off to one side usually looks just as good for less money.
How do I stop glare on my glasses during a video call?
Move your light higher and further to one side so its reflection angles away from the camera. Bouncing a lamp off a white wall also helps, and tilting your glasses down slightly can remove what is left.
What color light bulb is best for video interviews?
A daylight LED bulb, often labeled around 5000K to 5600K, gives the most natural skin tones on camera. Do not mix it with warm yellow bulbs in the same shot, or your face will look two different colors.
Why do I look dark on camera even with the lights on?
Usually a bright window or lamp is behind you, and the camera darkens the picture to handle it. Turn to face the light or close the blinds behind you, and add a lamp in front of your face if the room is still dim.