What portrait lens are you?

I’d say I’m probably a Nikon 50mm…or maybe a Nikon 85mm? What are you?

Aside from the silliness, I do love a good portrait lens. Everyone has a different need out of their lenses. What lens is used really depends on the situation, user preference, and the system.

I love portrait lenses that allow for beautiful bokeh, precise sharpness, and aren’t too heavy to lug around. I typically shoot headshots with an 85mm lens, as it fits the above criteria. It also doesn’t cause too much distortion, like a wide angle lens would. Don’t get me wrong though, wide angle lenses used for portraiture can create amazing effects and images! If I need to do a full length shot, I’ll sometimes switch up to an 50mm lens, just to get that extra length without being too far away.

When shooting children’s kindergarten portraiture, I use a 70-200 – the zoom is practical, and the compression beautifully softens backdrops of metal fences and other distractions too. This is another beautiful lens and for this type of work, I love it.

You’ll find that serious photographers love their lenses, and are willing to spend a lot to get quality glass. They will each have their go-to favourites for their own reasons. And while the new iPhone’s might have ‘portrait mode’ as a feature, it is nothing compared to seeing the sharpness of a beautiful, well made, lens: