Ring light setup for TikTok: distance, height and colour
A ring light is a soft light with a hole in the middle for your phone. Used well it gives even skin and a catchlight in the eyes. Used badly it flattens the face, glares in glasses and turns everything blue.
Height and angle
Put the centre of the ring at eye level or slightly above, pointing down a little. Light from below looks like a horror film; light from far above puts dark shadows under the eyes.
Keep the phone in the centre of the ring so the light falls straight along your line of sight. That is what gives the round catchlight people associate with ring lights.
Distance
Arm's length, about 50 to 70 cm, suits most 10 to 18 inch rings. Closer makes the light softer and brighter but can blow out the forehead; further away makes it harder and dimmer.
If your skin looks shiny or white in patches, the light is too close or too bright. Step back before you turn it down.
Brightness and colour
Start at about half power. The phone will raise its own exposure if the room is dark, so you rarely need the ring at full.
Match the colour to the room. Most rings switch between warm (around 3200K), neutral and cool (around 5600K). If daylight is coming in, use the cool setting; at night with warm bulbs on, use warm. Mixing them is what makes skin look patchy.
Glasses and backgrounds
For glasses, raise the ring a little higher and tilt it down, or move it slightly to one side. The reflection moves out of the lenses.
Stand a metre or more in front of the wall. A ring light close to a wall throws a hard halo shadow behind your head.
Frequently asked questions
At what height should I place a ring light?
Put the centre of the ring at eye level or slightly above, angled down a little, with the phone in the middle so light falls along your line of sight.
How far away should a ring light be?
About arm's length, roughly 50 to 70 cm, suits most 10 to 18 inch rings. If your skin looks shiny or white in patches, step back before turning it down.
How do I stop a ring light reflecting in my glasses?
Raise the ring a little higher and tilt it down, or move it slightly to one side, so the reflection moves out of the lenses.