When I started to use Zoom, the inability to use virtual backgrounds for my meeting gnawed at me. When I upgrade “Early 2015” MacBook Pro late last year, I looked forward to using virtual backgrounds and uploaded images that reflected the organization involved in the Zoom. I have images for SNAP (Services Now for Adult Persons)

where I chair the senior center’s board, the Knights of Pythias,

Amalgamated Transit Union

(for my NYC Central Labor Council Zooms and for the holiday season.

I even have one that mimics the spring/summer image behind when I Zoom from my outside office.

And of course the image I also employ as my screen background from Poco’s self-titled second LP and my fave album cover.

Many meetings involve Gotham Network and I adapted its logo

(I also deploy backgrounds for Gotham GREEN®

and the Gotham Green Awards®)

but a recent discussion thought we could improve on that background (blue logo above). 

At Gotham’s Happy Hour Zoom Friday afternoon, some folks suggested the Gotham “street sign” was not visible behind my “presence.” I suggested to tribal founder, Friday’s blogger, he prevail upon his son Alex Klein, and yesterday Fred Klein emailed two images, one vertical and one horizontal. I tried both out yesterday and I plan to use the horizontal image (see below; Fred credits Gotham webmaster Mitch Tobol gets for the horizontal and vertical frames.). 

If you are interested in seeing the Gotham Zoom background in action, I’ll show it off at Gotham Business POWER Breakfast 8:30 a.m. Wednesday morning and Gotham GREEN® next Tuesday at 12:30 p.m. Contact me or the Coordinator for both groups, Shelley Simpson if you wish to attend.