Focal length and portraits
Sunday, January 31, 2010
When shooting a portrait, it’s also very important to pay attention to focal length
because, just as the sense of space in a large scene changes dramatically depending
on your focal length choice, people’s faces can be similarly distorted. Again,
here are two images framed with the subject taking up the same amount of space:
The left image was shot with a slightly telephoto lens. For the image on the right,
I switched to a wide-angle lens and moved in closer. Obviously, the wide-angle
lens has greatly distorted the man’s face. Note, too, the change in background. In
the left image, the oven in the background looks very close, whereas in the right
image it appears farther away. The wide angle lens has stretched the distance between
his nose and ear and between his head and the background.
Portrait photographers typically use a focal length that’s a little longer than a normal
lens. On the T1i, 50mm is just about perfect for flattering portraiture. When
combined with a large aperture, you’ll get nice portraits with a soft background.
Composing Your Shot
Composition is the process of arranging the elements in your scene—the shapes
and objects that comprise your foreground and background—to create a pleasing
image.
Earlier we looked at some simple composition rules: fill the frame, lead your
subject, don’t be afraid to get in tight. These guidelines can greatly improve
your snapshots and are relevant to all kinds of shooting. For more complex
subjects and to produce more compelling images, though, you’ll want to think
about some additional compositional ideas.
There’s no right or wrong to composition, but some compositions are definitely
better than others. Rules are made to be broken, of course, and many compositions
won’t ascribe to any particular compositional theory or set of rules. However,
when trying to make a photo—that is, when you’ve found an interesting
subject and you’re trying to figure out how to shoot it—remembering these compositional
ideas will help you explore and experiment, and will probably lead you
to better results.
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