Portrait Photography Tutorial | Best Focal Length for Stunning Portraits

[@AdrianBacon]

this is exactly why I shoot with a zoom lens when doing portraits. I select the camera to subject distance that gives me the most pleasing perspective for that subject, then zoom the lens to get the composition I want. I mostly shoot headshots and upper body portraits, so my most used lens is a 70-200 and I have a 24-105 for the times I need to go wider than 70.

[@kirkdarling4120]

I came her to say that. Most of my work is indoors, though, so it's the 24-105 that's usually on my camera.

[@kirkdarling4120]

Thank you. I always determine the perspective I want by choosing my distance, then use focal length (zooming) to determine my framing. Being a bit pedantic, I find that to be about 10x the depth of the subject to avoid notable exaggerated perspective (among other things to consider). If the subject is just a face, from the tip of the nose to the ears, that's about five feet. If the subject includes the torso and an hand extended toward me, that's 'way out to 25-30 feet if I don't want objectionable perspective of that extended hand. But I'm not normally doing calculations like that...by this time I know how to deal with it. My first zoom, btw, was a Canon f/4 80-200 FD L zoom back in the late 70s, the first Canon zoom that didn't suck.

[@pasakuma6113]

Every video of Daniel I learn something!

[@dexon555]

Love content from Professor Norton. 👍🏻

[@bobmayphotography]

So good I subscribed! My takeaways: Choose distance from subject and then choose focal length. Keep camera horizontal, unless (my thought) you deliberately want an up or down shot, in which case reconsider distance / position. My only request: when mentioning a lens please add whether or not it is full frame.

[@swanseamale47]

Back in my film days primes we're needed because the early zooms were not great quality. Now, apart from the odd occasion, I need to shoot really fast, I use zooms. My go-to portrait lens back in the day was the 135mm but I had plenty of studio space.

[@LastXwitness]

DANIEL!!! good to see you here again!

[@MichaelRCarbajal]

I would love a walk through of what's in your tether station tool cart!

[@kgl1x]

Thank you for highlighting the versatility of modern zoom lenses, not just primes, primes, primes for portraiture. I really enjoy my goto lens also for portraits, a Tamron 35-150 f/2.8-4, EF mount adapted to EOS R. It gives me most classic portraiture focal lengths, 35, 50, 85, 105, 135 with everything in between and an extra reach to 150. It’s also a versatile allround lens for travel, landscape etc.

[@alan.macrae]

Great video as always, Daniel. Happy New Year!

[@AlexLancashirePersonalView]

Great instruction, lovely model.

[@blackimp4987]

I love your videos. I'm divouring them on every channel you appear teaching photography and demonstrating gear. Love your attitude and clear explanation and I love your purposes in shooting pictures for showing people good elements of their aspects. Anyway I 'm definitely lost for Marisa 😅

[@KW86.]

Great job, so simple, getting me motivated to break out my gear.

[@joeyrobertson4926]

Currently using 24-105 for portraits. Thanks for another great video Daniel!

[@filmic1]

I used my Nikkor 28mm 2.8 AF (Nikon F90) for a section of our studio lighting course and my instructor was surprised. She said, 'you used your 28mm??!! ' I hesitated at first, but my classmates standing around me pushed me on to shoot. There wasn't more than ten feet from me to the model(s) ,strobe space.They 'turned out' according to them and our teacher. This was way before digital. Used expired Polachrome, These arts college space were week-end workshops, full time commercial photography students were using.

[@RobertPintoweddingphotographer]

When shooting with zoom lens keeping average distance from the subject where do I keep my focus point? do I need to shift the focus points or it should be in the centre of the frame?

[@markgoostree6334]

Things I haven't thought about. I haven't shot a portrait , except my granddaughter, so I do not have info like this stuck in my brain. My only digital is a Nikon D-7200 with an 18-140 . It is all I have to work with so its what goes with me. Good thing I am not in demand for photography!!

[@mchenfoto]

105mm has been my portrait choice for head and shoulder for ages

[@winni223]

Exactly! I've been killing two birds with one stone too, jewelry macro & portraits 😅

[@zk4929]

On FF?

[@mchenfoto]

@zk4929 yes full frame. From film days. First was 105mm f2.5 nikkor

[@aussiegoosebumps]

@@mchenfoto Still have my 105mm f2.5 and use it.

[@stevenleades]

Wait, a lens can be too sharp? I have an 85mm prime for “portraits” but love the 100mm Macro when i have room to step back. Like most enthusiasts most portraits are taken at home or friends homes and theres rarely room to shoot with a 100mm unless its outdoors. Can we discount the “too sharp” issue with modern processing software?

[@Lubo54]

👍👍👍

[@MrBanda77]

05:00 same proportion? 🤔

[@visualkeysk7392]

i was thinking the same...🙄🙄

[@karlx19]

Yeah - ‘about the same’ my ar5e

[@aussiegoosebumps]

The shot of Mellisa's head on the right to me looks elongated. Is this what you have noticed?

[@karlx19]

@@aussiegoosebumps yep

[@kennypringle4580]

I’m happy shooting portraits between 100-135 or more. I wouldn’t prefer 85 if I can go longer.

[@nostalium]

So... No 105mm or 135mm?!

[@ScottEVOwner]

Appreciate your content, but I find it strange that you have distortion at 35mm but didn't highlight this as different but useful. Also portraits in studio for the most part are vanilla a good part of portraits are how the background is used and rendered. For me its all about what I want the pic top look like, sometimes 28mm is perfect, but most of the time 85mm, but then 50mm gives more context. So the portrait is not just what it looks like with a mono background for the most part this is boring and maybe for learners wanting to control the light and look of the subject, and then you move on. For me it was useful but simply if nothing else to point out what could be added to this video.

[@TimHunold]

Longer (bokeh-----------------------------------------environment)Shorter Longer (wider face--------------------------slimmer/dognose)Shorter

[@KingDLJ]

maybe its my glasses but every one of those photos looks like they had different proportions