Look at the preview from your normal seat
Open the camera preview in the application you use for calls. Sit where you normally work, with the laptop or monitor at its usual height. Check whether your face is clearly visible, whether one side is much darker and whether a bright window dominates the background.
A window behind you can make the camera's job harder by creating a strong contrast between the background and your face. Logitech's meeting-space guidance highlights this backlighting problem. Before changing camera settings, try turning the desk or camera so the strongest daylight comes from in front or slightly to one side.
Make one change at a time
Compare the preview with a curtain partly closed, a room lamp moved or an overhead light switched on. Watch the actual image after each adjustment. A room that looks bright to your eyes does not necessarily provide flattering or even light in the camera's direction.
Avoid aiming a bare, glaring lamp straight into your eyes. A shaded light or light reflected from a suitable nearby surface may be more comfortable. Keep lamps stable and follow their clearance requirements; do not cover a hot bulb with improvised fabric to soften it.
If you wear glasses, move the light and camera slightly while watching for reflections. A small positional change can help without making the whole room darker. Test your normal head movement as well as a carefully held pose, because calls rarely happen with the participant completely still.
Compare morning and evening
Daylight changes during the day. A position that works well in the morning can produce a bright patch across your face later. Check at the time your important calls usually take place and arrange a simple evening light for darker hours.
Try to make the setup repeatable. A lamp that must be balanced on a stack of books each time is unlikely to remain in the right place. Mark a convenient position or use a stable dedicated spot, leaving space for the keyboard and normal desk tasks.
Change software settings last
Confirm that the application has selected the intended camera. If several cameras are available, it is easy to adjust an external webcam while the preview is actually using the laptop camera. Then inspect any supported exposure or image controls without assuming every model offers the same options.
Make a short test recording if permitted, or ask a colleague during an agreed test call to confirm the result. The local preview does not tell you everything about transmitted quality, which also depends on the app and connection. If the image is still poor, you now have a stable lighting setup against which a different camera can be compared fairly.
