I have a horrible confession: I ignored my grandma for months during the pandemic.
At first, I answered every call. But over time, I started coming up with excuses… sometimes I said I was busy, but most times I just ignored the call and never replied.
I feel awful about it. But I had a good reason:
Every time I saw her on video chat, I got depressed.
Don’t get me wrong — as an older woman who lives alone, she gets along great. She still does her own cooking, cleaning, and yard work. I was able to see her in person once and it was wonderful! We spoke for hours and had a great time.
But whenever we spoke on video chat, I found myself trying to end the call as soon as possible. I simply couldn’t stand to see how sad, dark and lonely she looked on video!
Even though I knew she was doing okay in “real life”… it was like she was a completely different person on FaceTime. I couldn’t stand to see her like that! But I didn’t know what to do…
At first we switched to voice calls… but it wasn’t the same.
I said I couldn’t do video calls because my camera was broken — a white lie, I told myself. But I missed the connection you get when you talk face-to-face (even digitally)… and I could tell she did, too. Plus, who enjoys lying to their grandmother?!
Eventually, I got tired of ignoring her calls, so I did some research (in other words, I Googled “why do I look good in real life but bad on camera”)… and I discovered the problem: poor lighting!
I didn’t know this, but apparently, the right lighting can do WONDERS for your appearance on camera (while the wrong lighting can completely ruin your appearance). And it isn’t just important for video calls — good lighting is the secret ingredient behind the world’s best photographs and selfies.
I immediately started looking for a way to give my grandma better lighting. Sadly, every solution I found cost a TON of money and would be too complicated for my grandma to set up alone.
I was about ready to give up… when I stumbled across an influencer’s video on YouTube. They were gushing about a new device that gives you perfect lighting in virtually ANY situation with the press of a button: OlumiRing.
It was surprisingly inexpensive, so I ordered her one. A few days later, she called me… and WOW! My grandma actually looked better than she did in person — happy, spirited, and bright. I expected it to work, but not THIS well!
I was so impressed by how good she looked, I ordered one for my own Zoom calls. Most importantly, now I answer my grandma — with video — every time. Neither of us will ever go back to that dark, depressing camera look that so terribly misrepresents who we really are!
What is OlumiRing, exactly?
OlumiRing is an LED ring light that clips to your laptop, tablet or phone… and with the click of a single button, it creates flattering, photoshoot-worthy lighting for video calls and photography.
To put it simply, OlumiRing erases shadows — making you look brighter and more like your “real self”.
I knew the OlumiRing would be the perfect gift for my grandma because it’s so easy to use. It uses one button, holds a charge for roughly one hour, and — get this — it works right out of the box.
That means I didn’t have to buy a plane ticket to help her with setup (which would be both expensive and risky these days)… instead, she just pulled it out of the box, clipped it onto her phone, and pressed a button — all by herself. It’s that easy!
Personally, I use my OlumiRing for every work and personal call now. In a split second, it makes me look more awake for one-on-one calls with my boss (even if I just rolled out of bed). Plus, it makes all my Instagram photos look fantastic!
How does OlumiRing work?
OlumiRing is an out-of-the-box ring light that clips to any device. Simply pull it out of the box, clip it to your phone, and press the power button.
This is what makes OlumiRing so special – it gives you exactly the lighting you need… without the hassle, time investment, and expensive equipment you’d normally expect when setting up professional lighting.
The light features three different settings to match your mood and environment. Simply give the power button another click to make it brighter or dimmer, with brightness levels ranging from 100-800 lumens.
When FaceTiming with my grandma, I typically set it to the highest setting (so she can see my face)… while I might use a lower setting for business calls.
The OlumiRing comes with its own USB charger, so you can easily recharge it. (And yes, you can still use it while charging, if you’re like me and get stuck in seemingly endless Zoom meetings…)
Of course, OlumiRing isn’t just for professionals and grandmothers…
Originally, I bought OlumiRing to help my grandma. Then, it became my must-have work device for virtual meetings. Next, I started upping my photography game with it. Even now, I keep discovering just how many uses there are for OlumiRing:
- Feeling more confident: Everyone in my family noticed when my grandma got an OlumiRing. She told me, “Everyone keeps complimenting me and asking me if I put on makeup today!!” You can tell it’s given her a major confidence boost.
- Putting on makeup: My girlfriend is constantly putting her makeup on in the car. Since OlumiRing is small and compact, she clips it to her visor to apply makeup on the go.
- Working from home: Sometimes, working from home can make me feel tired or lethargic. With the OlumiRing, my bosses always think I’m 100% alert — far more than my colleagues sitting in dark, shadowy apartments.
- Capturing travel: Now that restrictions have begun to lift, I’ve finally been able to take a few weekend trips. I always toss my OlumiRing in my carry-on so I can easily snap a few shots.
Now that I know how easy it is, I recommend OlumiRing to anyone who uses video chat – it’s a game-changer!
Nearly every person I know — friends, colleagues, and even grandparents — has loved the OlumiRing after giving it a try.
Most importantly, it genuinely brings me joy to see my grandma proudly answer a FaceTime call. Now she’s excited about the way she looks! And every person in my family — even my parents — have noticed her rediscovered confidence.
These days, I recommend the OlumiRing to everyone — whether you want to capture fun shots on vacation, look professional during your business meetings, or connect with your grandparents. I won’t be surprised when I start seeing them EVERYWHERE… it’s that useful!
