I know I’ve said it before, what not to say to a photographer “You must have a good camera!” There is some truth to that statement! In my opinion, the actual camera body, Canon, Nikon, Sony Fuji… doesn’t make a difference. If you put anyone of those brands in the hands of a good photographer, they’ll capture a great image! The lens of choice is the determining factor in how an image is captured. Let me elaborate on that, different focal lengths have varying looks to the final RAW image. A super wide lens 10mm to 20mm would not be my first choice if photographing a portrait, especially if it involves a tight headshot. These focal lengths bring distortion to any subject when shot at a relatively close distance. It has a distinctive look to it if used for the purpose of adding distortion to a portrait. It can bring objects that is closer to the lens, giving it a distorted view of being larger than life.
12mm (full frame)f/2.8
The more traditional focal lengths for portraiture are 50mm, 85mm, 105mm, and, my favorite, 135mm. I normally carry a 35 mm with me in my bag for more of an environmental portrait shot that will include the couple's surroundings as well as the couple. Or if I’m in a tight space where I don’t have much room to back up, I’ll use the 35mm. I don’t care so much for anything widered such as a 24mm for environmental portraits, 35m is my comfort zone.
23mm f/2 (35mm full frame equivalent)
The second lens in my bag that I’ll gravitate to is my 85mm. This lens adds compression, which will bring the background close and help to fill the frame. At a wide aperture, f/2, my go-to aperture, it blurs out the background to make the subject pop off the screen! However, the 85mm lens that I have opens up to f/1.2, which can be too much blur or bokeh but can work for a great image at f/1.2. The only downside to this focal length is that my clients can’t hear me over the crashing waves & sounds of the ocean.
56mm f1.8 (85mm full frame equivalent)
Lastly, the third lens that’s always in my bag is a good old 50mm. I use this lens when I need to interact with my clients and if I have a limited amount of space to back up. The 50 is a tried-and-true portrait lens; in fact, I can do an entire photo session with only a 50mm on my camera. The 50 can capture amazing tight as well as wide shots, making it a very versatile lens.
50mm f/1.2 (full frame)
I recently added an 18mm super wide-angle lens to my bag, mainly for that distorted look that makes a long dress look even longer and bigger. That lens is a Rokinon 12mm (18mm full-frame equivalent). It fits in the palm of my hand and weighs almost nothing. The distortion can be minimized if used properly. This lens will come out for a few “different” looks, then back into the bag. It serves its purpose!
12mm (18mm full frame equivalent)
To recap, in my humble opinion, it’s the combination of the camera, lens, and photographer that creates a style in a photograph. To some extent, it is true that “you have a good camera” is actually a compliment, but I’d rather hear my clients say you're a good photographer rather than you have a good camera! Make sense??? Lol!
A work in progress...
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