1. A video conference system comprising: a first image capture device that captures first user environment image data in a first user environment for transmission over a communications network; a second image capture device that captures second user environment image data in a second user environment for transmission over the communications network; a conference management server coupled to the network, the conference management server receiving the first user environment image data and the second user environment image data, the conference management server further monitoring at least one lighting condition in the first user environment and at least one lighting condition in the second user environment; a first computing device associated with the first image capture device, the first computing device receiving lighting control instructions from the conference management server; and a second computing device associated with the second image capture device, the second computing device receiving lighting control instructions from the conference management server, wherein the lighting control instructions from the conference management server comprise generating an outer frame area and an inner frame area, the outer frame area controlling at least one lighting condition in the respective user environment so that the at least one lighting condition remains within an operating range of the respective image capture device.