Have you noticed articles lately about the bookshelves behind newscasters and other pundits? I've read two such stories this week. I have the same impulse as the writers of these articles. When I watch a commentator, I gaze at the background behind them. Jonathan Capehart of the new duo, Brooks and Capehart on PBS NewsHour, has design books, round, spikey objects, and flowers behind him. David Brooks has moved from a narrow bookless room to a wider space with bookshelves arranged by the colors of their covers. Judy Woodruff and Amy Walters display biographies and history books. Yamiche Alcindor, when she isn't standing in front of the White House, is framed by a bright blue wall dotted with small golden pots filled with plants trailing down the wall. Lisa Desjardins and William Brangham both have cats that spread themselves out, stretch, and wander out of the picture.
Inspecting these backgrounds gives me a window into their lives or at least their choices of how they would like to be viewed. What do you choose for your backdrop?
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| My backdrop |
What is behind me breaks the rules suggested by Zoom: plain background and good lighting. I don't sit in front of a simple backdrop. Instead, behind me rests all the stuff I use for writing and artwork, for all to see. I like it because it is me.
Looking at the bookshelves in our house, I realize that each one could speak about the reader.
My husband Bill, a voracious and discerning reader, teaches a class on Zoom and has carefully curated his background so that his students see his favorite photographs by other artists. No books on display, though his bookshelves are filled with diverse offerings. As a photographer, Bill exams each Zoom meeting he has in his quest for a well-lit space. He's noted that friends sit in their kitchens, craft rooms, offices, or with artwork behind them. How do you show yourself to the Zoom world?
You could be someone interested in crafts:
You could be a cook:
You could be an artist:
Bookshelves could speak volumes about you.
Love your busy background (and your closing pun!)
ReplyDeletethank you, Teresa. I couldn't resist that pun!
ReplyDeleteFrom Mary by email: Interesting observations. I too do the same, I study the backdrop of the individual and try to see into their lives.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing
Those backdrops tell a lot about each person, don't they? Fun to observe and study!
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