texturesofthebackground.Bokehcanplayagreatpartin
the composition of your final image, and will instantly
isolate the subject from the background. Using this
beautifuleffectofbluranddistortioncorrectlycanenhance
anddrawattentiontowardsthemainfocusoftheimage.In
aportraituresettingthis canbeavery powerfultooland
can give images a wonderful depth and dimension.
Opinionsseemtovarygreatlyastowhichisthebestlens
to use for portraiture work. Factors that will strongly
influenceyour choice should be subject matter,style of
shooting, handheld or tripod, and ultimately the desired
outcome for the portrait shoot.
Itisageneralruleinportraiturethatthelongerthefocal
lengthofthelensthemoreflatteringtheoutcomeforthe
sitter,asthenatureofthelongerlenswillbetonarrowand
thinthesubject,makingfeaturessmallerandmorepleasing
totheeye.Howeverextremelylonglenses(morefromthe
super telephoto range above 300mm) would be very
impractical when used as a portrait lens, as the
photographer would haveto be some distance from the
subject,and assuchwouldnot beable tocreatea good
rapportwiththeclientandsoaconduciveenvironmentfor
shooting a relaxed portrait.
In contrast the shorter focal length lenses (wider-angle
lensesbelow35mm)willdrawinmoreinformationfrom
thesurroundingareasoftheframeandcandistortthesitter
in a rather unflattering way,by, for example,making a
particularfacialfeaturesuchasthenosemorepredominant
in theframe. However theycan be usedto greateffect
whenshootingasubjectwithinalocation,especiallywith