Not every camera lens are designed for the same purpose. Some work better than others for specific kinds of photography.
On this blog, we will discuss about things to think while choosing the best lens for portrait photography.
Portraiture is a kind of art where the subject’s spirit and personality are captured in a single frame, going beyond simple portrayal. Any experienced photographer will tell you that getting beautiful portraits depends greatly on the lens you use.
Focal Length in Portrait Photography:
To take appealing and artistically attractive portraits, one must have a solid understanding of focal length, which is the distance between the lens and the image sensor. Longer the focal length, the more magnification you will get.
The perspective of an image is determined by its focal length. Lens with longer focal lengths particularly between 50 and 85 mm (prime lens), offer a more aesthetically pleasing and authentic viewpoint. By compressing the background, they preserve more realistic facial proportions and reduce the apparent distance between components.
Although prime lenses are excellent at capturing crisp, high-quality photographs, zoom lenses like 70-200mm provide compositional freedom that is unmatched. These lenses allow photographers to capture the portraits being far from the subject or in a dynamic shooting conditions.
Aperture Size :
The depth of field, or the range of distance in a picture that appears clear in the final image, is directly controlled by the aperture size. A shallow depth of field produced by a wide aperture (small f-stop value, such as f/1.4 or f/2.8) produces bokeh, or the blurred background effect, separating the subject from outside distractions, which impact on bringing the focus on the subject.
Wider aperture allows more light to pass to the camera sensor, helping photographers to take better picture in low light condition. This could be the advantage while shooting portraits during early morning, evening or indoor. It also allows photographers to manipulate the tone and aesthetic of their portraits. A higher f-stop number (f/8 or f/11) on the other hand, produces a narrower aperture and a bigger depth of field, making it appropriate for environmental portraiture where the background and subject are in focus.
In the field of portrait photography, choosing the right lens is an art in itself. Experiment is the key, take your time and experiment whatever lens you have and explore the art of portrait photography.
Happy Shooting!