The fantasy of The Grapes offered me solace in my journey through grief. Presented as a fairytale, the works reflect on our
yearning for a return to childhood when faced with catastrophe and ultimately, the wonder of imagination and its ability to heal.
Hi!
My name is Dana Spaeth. I've been a portrait photographer for almost 30 years.
Like you, I've been tied to my webcam a lot lately. And like you, I'm looking at shadowy faces, chaotic scenes and blinding backlight.
Ready for a change?
I can help you Zoom better.
Through a personal Zoom consultation, we'll work together to master your virtual impact and image. I'll walk you through simple adjustments to your lighting, webcam, composition, presentation, & scene. In just one hour, we'll transform how you look, feel, and connect with your viewers and also how they connect to you!
3 STEPS TO BETTER ZOOMING
During our Zoom consultation, we'll address 3 basic aspects of video conferencing to transform your impact in virtual spaces.
LIGHT
Darkness and shadow, especially on a person's face, triggers a negative, distrustful response. We feel confused by light that causes unnatural skin tones or comes from strange angles. On the other hand, great light can make you look young, healthy, friendly, and credible. The good news is that great light can be found or created at home, without expensive equipment.
CAMERA
Most webcams can transmit only a tiny fraction of the nuances that human eyes are capable of seeing. Sometimes, this might make for dull viewing, but when it comes to hiding your flaws, webcams can be your best friend. Because a webcam captures a limited range of tones and sharpness, the right light will hide imperfections and make you look younger and more refreshed.
SCENE
Humans brains are confused by visual fields with too much stimuli. Unfortunately, webcams add to the confusion by removing depth from an image. Like it or not, everyone you Zoom with will follow a pretty similar sight path around your scene. Simple, powerful rules of visual composition will determine how appealing your virtual presence will be.
​
CONSULTATIONS ON ZOOM
Consultations for individuals are available on Zoom. For a full transformation, a 60 minute session is recommended.
Please inquire about corporate packages.
individual
consultations
Group consultations are available for partners, friends, co-workers, team members, or families.
Please inquire about corporate packages.
group consultations
60 minute classes for groups of 9 or more are taught with a combination of visual aids and live demo. For group class inquiries, please contact Dana here.
​
group classes
What people are saying...
WHY IS VIDEO SO HARD?
It's because we're human.
It all boils down to the science of human perception.When we video conference, our brains aren't able to rely on the same tenants of communication that we use in person. We have to work much harder to process a barrage of stimuli while constantly searching for non-verbal cues that are imperceptible on video. Add to the mix our tendency to look critically at ourselves and the uncomfortable pressure of performing on camera and it's a recipe for unavoidable brain drain.
The subconscious messages you send
Humans are wired to look for meaning in every visual field we encounter. For the most part, we all respond to visual stimuli the same way. For example, humans will always register a moving object first when looking at a scene because we're wired to defend against predators.
​
Whether we like it or not, everyone you Zoom with is scanning your virtual scene for meaning and assigning a response to everything they see. If your scene is dark, light, cluttered, stark, colorful, or neutral, we assign meaning to those elements. Your lighting, wardrobe, posture, and camera angle influence how we feel about you and even how we feel ourselves when looking at you.
There are solutions!
When video conferencing, we're at the mercy of our webcams and the wiring of our brains. Our limited devices offer poor resolution with little detail, so we struggle to decode unfamiliar signals and make sense of what appears to be nonsensical. Fortunately, a few targeted tips and tricks can make a huge difference.
Sign up and put your best video conferencing face forward today!
