I am using two Ikea Skurup lamps (https://www.ikea.com/pl/pl/p/skurup-lampa-stolowa-kinkiet-go...) directly above and in front of my monitors, just outside of reach of webcam.

Soft lighting is a result of geometry. You can use very huge source far away from you or smaller but very close.

You also need to pay attention to how the light is scattered and that the direct light is not shining on your face. I have asked my wife to make half a dozen covers for them from a white material. They have a spot in the middle that blocks direct light from the bulb. I use a number of covers on each depending on how much I want to attenuate the lighting.

I also use a very small, cheap 5 watt high CRI, 6400K lightbulb in each. I use same kind of bulbs from same manufacturer for overhead light and for my desk lamp. I have separate desk lamps for 6400K light and 4000K light (which is what I like to use when I work).

The total cost is something on the order of 150 PLN or 40 USD plus a favor to my wife.

4x 5W LED isn't really a lot of light, especially if you are diffusing it. If your webcam can work with that, it's not that bad :)

Edit: I just read your comment again and realized that you are putting the light really close to your face. I guess that's a way to get away with low power lights.

My whole office only has a single 5W LED lamp! I thought that was enough.

I recently installed 5x20W LED lights in my windowless office kitchen for a ficus I got from a friend.

And it's so much nicer now! It's amazing what light can do to a room.

I think most homes should have an order of magnitude more light.

I just measured, the light is about 45cm from my face. Additionally, the lamp reflects most of the light in my direction.

I am not a model and am not used to have such bright light source so close to my face. I had to attenuate it because then it is just too uncomfortable but also to match light level on my face with that of the background.

This is funny advice. Are we still talking about working from home here? Who wants to stare at huge styrofoam panels all day?

Much better alternative - if you have a window, set up your desk so you face towards it. It’s an automatic soft box and you get to look out the window.

If you just want decent video quality for a zoom meeting where everyone shows up in their pyjamas then I agree -- setting up lighting like I described is wasted effort.

But for example, if you are a teacher, or an instructor, or if you have a video meeting with important customers, you may want to put some more effort into presenting yourself. And the best bang for the buck is improving lighting.

Sitting in front of a window is a nice solution for an overcast day, but it doesn't work after sunset (currently around 4PM where I live) or on a sunny day with hard light. Unlike styrofoam boards, it's also hard to control the light because you can't move the window.

I'm not suggesting everyone should do what I said. I was just sharing a possible solution if you want to make good looking video.

> Now you'll look amazing even with the cheapest, crappiest webcam.

I just bought the cheapest, crappiest webcam - a Trust Exis Webcam[1] - and I can assure you that nothing could ever look amazing viewed through that 480p blurry POS no matter what you do.

If you want cheap and crappy, I strongly recommend going for something slightly less cheap and crappy than this one.

[1] https://www.trust.com/en/product/17003-exis-webcam-black-sil...

Why not white bed sheets? I'm sure you could pick up a pack at a mega mart for a few quid. Easier to store, more environmentally friendly and less messy than styrofoam.

Styrofoam is probably easier to mount/angle appropriately for the use and may reflect more light - but the material doesn’t matter a great deal.

If you just want soft light, bounce it off anything you have on hand.

Works fine until it falls of a makeshift stand half way through the meeting, but I guess that’s an issue with yours truly being a bit lazy/not talented at DYI

Buying "pro" entry-level photographic lightning equipment is about the same cost and much simpler to set up.

You don't need "pro" equipment for lighting. That's one area when you can get very creative. Most people can take lamps they already have and put some bit of white material on it, which is what I am doing for a very good effect.

If you already have something then great; but if you're buying it's easier to just get a lightning set and bulbs with a specific color temp than do a lot of trial and errors with bed sheets and whatnot.

To be honest I have no idea what photo and video lights cost now.

When I looked into it a couple of years ago a minimum set of two strobes, mounts and a reflector would have cost more than 300€.

I bought a set 7 years ago for $80; it's cheap not just in price: it's basic; but it works.

Can you recommend a good brand? I tried buying something from Amazon UK but contrary to reviews it turned out to be awful.

Good brands are expensive but I have had some luck with Neewer, a cheap Chinese brand. Stands are usually flimsy but if you can you should buy wall mounting arms for either your walls or your ceiling; it also preserves floor space.

Godox is very good price-performance wise. I am not sure under what brand they sell their video lights in US. I know that their strobes are sold as Flashpoint.