Lighting
The upgrade with the best ratio of cost to visible difference.
What actually matters
- A window in front of you is free and usually better than a lamp. A window behind you is the single most common mistake.
- Adjustable colour temperature matters if you work into the evening and the daylight changes around you.
- Bigger, softer and closer beats brighter. A small very bright light makes hard shadows.
- If it clamps to the desk, check the clamp fits your desk's thickness.
Picks
No specific picks in here yet — I only list things once I've actually formed an opinion about them. The points above are what I'd go on in the meantime.
Also in being seen and heard
- WebcamsWhat a client sees on a call. Usually the cheapest credibility upgrade available.
- MicrophonesPeople forgive a bad picture. They hang up on bad audio.
- Content-creation gearFor recording the build, not for becoming a studio.
- Product photographyHow a small product looks when somebody is deciding whether to buy it.
Kit is the easy part. The awkward part is usually the process.
Buying a label printer fixes an afternoon. If the thing eating your week is the admin around the orders rather than the packing itself, that's the part I build.
Tell me what's eating the week