How to Use Special Effects on a Mac iSight Camera

Image Captured from iChat

There are two popular applications on the Macintosh that take advantage of the built in iSight Camera: iChat and Photobooth. Mac supplies a whole range of special effects you can use with these applications. You can also add your own customized backgrounds and effects. The effects are fun to use in personal chats and to use with either application to capture an image from the camera. Read on to learn the basics of using these special effects during your next video chat.

Things You'll Need

• MAC computer with built-In iSight camera

Instructions

1. 

   Open iChat and start the video camera. You can do this by clicking on the camera icon next to your name or selecting PREVIEW VIDEO from the VIDEO drop down menu. Once you have started the camera, select SHOW EFFECTS from the VIDEO menu.

2. 

   From the special effects toolbox simply select the effect you want to see displayed in the video preview window. Notice the ORIGINAL view is always present in the center of the selections so you can easily flip back to the normal camera view.

3. 

   Scroll through the effects pages using the scroll keys. The original is always in the center. There are six pages of effects, so take your time and experiment with all of the different ones. Keep in mind that flipping through the effects can be irritating to the people you are chatting with; you have to be in a playful mood.

4. 

   There are also video effects. The roller coaster and fish tank are my favorites. Notice that your image will be in the center of the video effect and the video will run behind your image. Your chat members may see you on a roller coaster or in front of Yosemite Falls. Kids seem to love the video effects, although I am not sure how the grandparents may feel about them.

5. 

   You can also add your own backgrounds from image files. Simply select an image file and you will see your camera image in front of the image background. This actually has a practical use for trainers and business. For example, you could put your company logo tiled behind you, which would give the look and feel of being at a press conference. The special effects are a fun way to add a little pizazz to a business conference or to just get a little wacky when chatting with family and friends.

Tips & Warnings

• Experiment with all the backgrounds before you actually use them in a chat, so that you are familiar with how they look.

• Don't use the effects too often or for too long a period since they can become annoying during regular use.

• Use the special effects to snap a photo with iChat or Photobooth to create a unique avatar or image.