One question I am often asked on my YouTube channel is “What focal length lens should I buy or use for portraits?” Photographers always want to know if they should purchase a 35mm, 50mm or 85mm lens for their portrait work.

The answer is that it depends on the distance between you and your subject. You can take portraits with a 35mm lens, but if you’re too close to your subject, then your portrait will have distortions. A 50mm lens is the most popular entry-level lens, but even it can give you a bit of distortion if you’re composing head shots with your camera in portrait orientation. Yes, this is true, even after calculating the crop factor. Having said this, if you keep a little distance between yourself and the subject, then you won’t see any distortion with a 50mm lens.

Look at the following pictures. Each is taken with different focal length lenses: 35mm, 50mm and 85mm.

Clearly, the 35mm photo reveals distortion. The 50mm has a bit of distortion, but the same shot in landscape orientation would have been distortion-free. I would say 85mm is ideal for close-up headshots because you’ll see no distortion.

What should you do if you don’t own a 85mm lens? Try not to position yourself too close to your subject. That will take care of any distortion. If you own all 3 focal lengths, then simply pick the right lens, depending on what kind of composition you’re creating.

Recommended Reading:

• Portrait Photographer's Handbook 
• 500 Poses for Photographing Women
• 500 Poses for Photographing Men
• Posing for Portrait Photography: A Head-to-Toe Guide for Digital Photographers
• Doug Box's Guide to Posing for Portrait Photographers
• Master Lighting Guide for Portrait Photographers
• Light It, Shoot It, Retouch It: Learn Step by Step How to Go from Empty Studio to Finished Image

All pictures are taken by PhotographersOnUTube. You can find their Photography Tutorial channel at http://www.Youtube.com/user/photographersonutube and Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/PhotographersOnUTube.

People who read this PhotographyTalk.com article also liked:

• How To Photography: Portrait Photography
• What Is Photography? Capturing and Controlling Light
• 10 Hot Highlights of the Nikon AF-S 35mm f/1.4G Lens That Will Attract Both Serious and Professional Photographers
• 12 Rewarding Features of the Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L II USM Lens for Portrait, Wedding and Indoor Sports Photographers

Your feedback is important to thousands of PhotographyTalk.com fans and us. If this article is helpful, then please click the Like and Re-Tweet buttons at the top left of this article.

{nogoogle}