In short: Frame yourself head and shoulders, with a small, even gap above your head and your eyes near the upper third of the picture. Sit at arm's length or a little further from the lens, close enough that your face and mouth are clear on a phone. Record ten seconds, watch it on a phone, and adjust before you start the real take.
A good frame is head and shoulders, with a small gap above your head and enough distance that your face reads on a small screen. Most framing problems come from being too far back, too low, or too close to the lens. Set those three things first, then check the result on a phone.
Headroom: a small, even gap
Leave a small, even gap above your head. Too much space makes you look as if you are sinking into the chair. Too little cuts the top of your hair and makes the frame feel cramped. Present Yourself's advice on framing is to keep the same head-and-shoulders picture throughout, so the viewer is not jolted by a change in shot.
Distance: close enough to read
Viewers read faces on small screens, and many people follow what you say by watching your mouth, especially on a noisy call or a phone. Sit close enough that your face and mouth are clear. Being too close is uncomfortable for you and the viewer, so check the distance on a phone rather than on a large monitor.
Eye level with the lens
Keep your eyes level with the lens, as set out in the guide to eye contact with a lens. Your eyes sitting near the upper part of the picture usually looks natural. Present Yourself's advice on framing is the same: eyes level with the lens, and the same head-and-shoulders picture for the whole talk. If you move your chair between takes, check the frame again before you record.
Set up in five minutes
- Sit or stand in the position you will use for the talk.
- Put the camera at eye height, or a touch above.
- Frame the head and shoulders with a small gap above your head.
- Check that your face and mouth are clear at phone size.
- Record ten seconds, watch it on a phone, and adjust.
Common mistakes
- Camera too low. Looking up the nose is the most common problem on a laptop or a low tripod.
- Sitting too far back. A busy background takes over the picture and the face gets small.
- Changing the frame mid-talk. A different framing for each section makes the cut look like a mistake.
- Forgetting the lighting changes the frame. A face in shadow reads less clearly than a face with light on it, so check the picture after any light moves.
The guide to what to wear on camera covers the colours and patterns that work best in frame. Once the frame is right, the next question is how to sit or stand for the camera.
Related guides
- Eye contact with a lens: arrows, eyeline and the window
- Being 10% more than you on camera, 20% on stage
- Facial expression on camera
- How to read an autocue without looking like you're reading
- Sit or stand for camera?
- All guides and tools
The picture at the top of this page is an illustration, not a photograph of a client or a real job.
Questions we get asked
How much headroom should you leave on camera?
Leave a small, even gap above your head. Too much space makes you look as if you are sinking, and too little cuts the top of your hair and feels cramped.
How far should you sit from the camera?
Far enough to frame the head and shoulders, and close enough that your face and mouth read clearly on a phone screen. Check on a phone, not a large monitor.
Should the camera be above or below my eyes?
At eye height, or a touch above. A camera below eye level looks up at you, which can feel unflattering and less confident.
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