Portraits
If you would like to take a close-up picture of an object or a portrait of someone, you'll need a telephoto lens or a lens that can zoom in to a telephoto focal length. There are a few reasons why:
- Distortion: telephoto lenses have the least amount of distortion, still capturing the subject from a short range.
- Detail: with telephoto lenses you can shoot from a bit of distance still capturing the subject just as if it were in your "face".
- Comfort: your model whose portrait you are about to take would not much appreciate a camera ~30cms from their face, when you would use a medium or wide-angle lens. Also they would look very distorted in this distance.
If you are about to take someone's portrait, always talk to them first. Try to find out what parts of their body are they sensitive about, or they don't like to show at all. Try to discuss different setups, poses and directions of shooting, explain some of how certain lighting settings will affect them and their pictures. These talks will put your model at ease, making them more relaxed when you take their pictures.
Once you took a few pictures - if shooting with digital - show your model a few examples, how they look, as they might want to change some things on themselves or on the setup.
- Distortion: telephoto lenses have the least amount of distortion, still capturing the subject from a short range.
- Detail: with telephoto lenses you can shoot from a bit of distance still capturing the subject just as if it were in your "face".
- Comfort: your model whose portrait you are about to take would not much appreciate a camera ~30cms from their face, when you would use a medium or wide-angle lens. Also they would look very distorted in this distance.
If you are about to take someone's portrait, always talk to them first. Try to find out what parts of their body are they sensitive about, or they don't like to show at all. Try to discuss different setups, poses and directions of shooting, explain some of how certain lighting settings will affect them and their pictures. These talks will put your model at ease, making them more relaxed when you take their pictures.
Once you took a few pictures - if shooting with digital - show your model a few examples, how they look, as they might want to change some things on themselves or on the setup.
Portrait taken with telephoto lens
Portrait taken with wide-angle lens
