2026-10-25 · 4 min read

Look better on camera with a window and a phone

You do not need a ring light. Where to stand, where to put the phone and how to use a window so your videos look clean.

Most videos that look "cheap" have a lighting problem, not a camera problem. A phone is more than enough if the light is right.

Face the window

Stand so that a window is in front of you, to one side of the phone. Soft daylight from the front is the most flattering light there is. Never stand with the window behind you: the camera will expose for the bright background and you become a silhouette.

Set the frame

• Put the lens at eye level. Stack books if you have to.
• Place your eyes about a third of the way down from the top of the frame.
• Leave a little space above your head and less below your chin.
• Shoot vertical unless you have a reason not to.

Check the small things

• Wipe the lens. Phone lenses are always smudged.
• Look at what is behind you. A clean wall beats a messy shelf.
• Do a ten-second test and watch it before you film the real thing.

In the Startell app, framing and light are two of the signals in your Star Score, so you can see whether a change actually helped.