How To Be Zoom Ready

29 Mar 2020 2 Comments

by Powerful Goddess Portraits by Sharon Birke of DoubleSmart LLC in Glamour Portraits Tags: , , , , , ,

 

The best thing about telecommuting is

not having to dress for work–

And nobody has to know if you’re naked below the waist.

Anonymous

 

 

Now that we can live 24/7 in pajamas for the duration of this enforced lock down, all we need is one well pressed shirt for meetings and interviews on the Zoom App. To maintain professionalism, you want your viewer(s) to focus on what you have to say and avoid distracting them with what’s going on behind you.  Here are some handy tips to look your best on video:

Room Set Up  Pick a room with a door that you can lock so kids and pets can’t run in while you’re in the middle of a meeting.  You want a plain blank wall as background and a firm chair that encourages you to sit tall without swiveling/rocking–not the comfy sofa, your favorite armchair, and certainly not the bed. Remove wall decor, picture frames, plants, and close any door (closet/bathroom) that may be visible to your audience.

 

 

Camera Setup  Raise the camera of your laptop/smartphone to the level of your eyes or higher so you look alert and awake. In the picture below, leaving your laptop/camera at a low angle is not flattering at all–unless you have a particular fondness for your double chin. Either lower your seat or use a stack of books (or a box) to get the camera to a height that allows your face and neck to fill the screen, leaving about an inch above the top of your head and a couple of inches below the shoulder line. Have your pens and reference documents within reach. To avoid spills on devices and paperwork, keep your beverage in a covered cup or bottle.

 

 

Lighting  Face a window to give your face the best natural light during the day. In the absence of a window or for evening meetings, set up a small video light, a ring light or switch the light bulb of your desk lamp to a 40 watt daylight bulb.  If your light source cannot be dimmed to your liking, adjust brightness by moving it nearer/farther away or move it to your side instead of straight on to your face.

 

Ring Light with smartphone holder

 

What to wear  A plain V neck shirt with long sleeves always looks respectable. Choose the color of your top to contrast with the wall behind you. A black shirt on a black background will give the spooky effect of a floating head. Have a jacket handy in case you feel chilly in the middle of an extended discussion.  If you wear eyeglasses, make sure they are non-reflective.

All photos above from Google Images. This is my simple lighting setup with a desk lamp.

Click on “Leave a comment” (top left) to share how you keep your focus on the good stuff no matter what. (All photos on this page from Google Images.)

 

xoxox

Give the women you love the most unique gift

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© Sharon Birke

Managing Member, DoubleSmart LLC

201 697 1947

Sharon@PowerfulGoddess.com

www.PowerfulGoddess.com

Glamour Portraits of the Goddess in Every Woman

Full House, Fool’s Belly

18 Mar 2020 4 Comments

by Powerful Goddess Portraits by Sharon Birke of DoubleSmart LLC in Best Books for Women, How To, Mind and Body, Womon's Health and Wellness Tags: , , , , , , , ,

 

I know a great joke about CoronaVirus

but you probably

would rather not get it.

Anonymous

 

There goes my empty nest celebration as the husband sets up two monitors to work from home and the young adults fill the garage and basement with their dorm stuff to finish the semester online.  I have only one question for all the universities Where’s my tuition refund?!!!  A son who is a 6’4” lump of inertia at home wondered out loud What’s so bad about this (enforced 24/7 togetherness)? Hmmm… Let’s see…Your mother might kill someone if the virus doesn’t?

An interesting fact from The Economist:  The Coronavirus kills not by destroying cells, but by overstimulating the immune system’s inflammatory response. While all this virus hoopla might pass soon enough, a more serious concern that won’t go away by itself is this: How do we unknowingly stress and overstimulate our immune system on a daily basis?  How can we give our bodies the best chance of weathering future storms?

Gluten, sugar and dairy cause inflammation that may not trigger the shrill bells and whistles of a pandemic. Their symptoms appear quietly and innocently enough as a variety of illnesses such as allergies, diabetes, celiac, autism, MS, Crohn’s, and depression. Most medical professionals resort to medication as the first response and when symptoms are suppressed (which are our body’s means of asking for help), we forget the need to understand the underlying causes. Symptom suppression is akin to saying to our body “Shut up!” when it’s begging for our attention to change something in our diet and lifestyle. Making a change gets doubly tricky because these foods are not only widely popular and convenient, they charm the tongue and comfort the psyche, triggering that corner of our brain which induces addiction.

Should you feel like locking yourself up in a closet to get away from everyone else at home in the long days ahead, one of these books might be good company:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Exercise outdoors, open windows as much as possible and keep breathing deeply. Like all of life’s troubles, this, too, shall pass. Click on “Leave a Comment” (top left) to share how you pay attention to what your body is saying.

 

xoxox

Give the women you love the most unique gift

of elegant and timeless portraits with a

Powerful Goddess Gift Certificate

for a most memorable photo shoot for up to three people!

Buy Now Button with Credit Cards

© Sharon Birke

Managing Member, DoubleSmart LLC

201 697 1947

Sharon@PowerfulGoddess.com

www.PowerfulGoddess.com

Glamour Portraits of the Goddess in Every Woman

The Woman With Many Plans

08 Mar 2020 Leave a comment

by Powerful Goddess Portraits by Sharon Birke of DoubleSmart LLC in Beauty and Fashion, Best Books for Women, Bestselling Books, Glamour Portraits, Womon's Health and Wellness Tags: , , ,

 

It’s better to be interesting

than

to be beautiful.

Maye Musk

 

Reading A Woman Makes A Plan: Advice for a Lifetime of Adventure, Beauty and Success by Maye Musk kept me awake past my bedtime in admiration of this indomitable spirit.  She’s the woman I want to be when I grow up!  When we see women all dolled up, it’s easy to tell ourselves that she probably hasn’t been through the hardships we’ve had. Not so! Making a fresh start–often from scratch–and moving to nine cities in three countries over her adult life, Maye has had to pick herself up one extra time after circumstances had pushed her down yet again, holding her head high with positive attitude and the willingness to do whatever it takes to show up and make the best of whatever cards life dealt her.

She speaks of her parents who set the example of “Live dangerously–carefully.”  Her mother was another incredible woman who packed up five young kids with all their food/water supply to survive three weeks of driving in the African desert–their family adventure for eight summers. She reinvented herself as a prolific artist in her 60s to 80s after her beloved husband’s tragic death; then learned to make art on the computer at 94.  This reminds me to keep stepping forward in life with grace, to always embrace the new, and to be supportive of the decisions my young adults make for themselves.

At 71, Maye continues to make plans, sharing her accumulated wisdom from motherhood, modeling, and her other lifelong profession, nutrition. She explains her sensible guide to eating based on small healthy snacks/meals when you’re hungry so as not to stress your body with starvation. Plan ahead what to keep in your fridge and your day bag and be kind to ourselves on occasional indulgences, never punishing nor going to extremes with severe restrictions that are impossible to maintain. Best of all, pay attention to our feelings that goad us to eat mindlessly and understand what changes we need to make.

I want to be surrounded by people like her who don’t complain nor obsess about looks, who are unafraid of aging and wearing silver hair, people who keep themselves engaged doing interesting things and giving their best for the people they love and work with. I want to look to the future with enthusiasm, always eager to learn and have fun no matter what shows up and despite severe pain, setbacks and heartache.  I’m not planning on Mars so I’m thankful for the inspiration of your beautiful light on this earth, Maye!

Click on “Leave a comment” (top left) to share what you love about the woman you want to be when you grow up. (All photos on this page from Google Images.)

xoxox

 

 

 

 

 

 

xoxox

Give the women you love the most unique gift

of elegant and timeless portraits with a

Powerful Goddess Gift Certificate

for a most memorable photo shoot for up to three people!

Buy Now Button with Credit Cards

© Sharon Birke

Managing Member, DoubleSmart LLC

201 697 1947

Sharon@PowerfulGoddess.com

www.PowerfulGoddess.com

Glamour Portraits of the Goddess in Every Woman

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