The camera or the lens adding “weight” or width to any subjects, as a rule, is pure mythology. If this is happening in all your images, somewhere in your process you are introducing some form of distortion due to a technical error or poor photographic technique. If you are going to solver this problem, some logical troubleshooting is in order.

If this distortion is being introduced in the camera due to an error in focal length usage, an awkward camera position or even some defect or aberration in the lens, this distortion would be apparent in your viewfinder or on the viewing screen of you camera, that is if you observe the image carefully. This kind of distortion would also affect the shape or proportions of objects, other than human subjects. As a troubleshooting test procedure, photograph a few common objects around you home and see if the are rendered somewhat correctly using your normal lens or focal focal length setting (such as a focal length of 50mm on a full frame body or 35mm on a crop body.). Do this keeping the camera parallel to the object- do not shoot up or down at the object.

To level the playing field, so to speak, you need to make sure that your monitor is set at the proper aspect ratio and is not stretching the subject to fit the full screen. If your viewing system is out of adjustment, you will not be able to establish any norms. On the old CRT TV sets, a test pattern was employed to establish horizontal linearity- see if you can create a test target with a perfect circle in the middle and make certain that the circle does not appear as an oval or elliptical shape on the screen.

If everything is working properly, the next thing to consider is your “portrait” technique. Portraits or just general photographs of people are best done with a normal or moderately long lens. Camera position, in relation to the subject is important to consider as well. A full length image with the camera between 10 and 15 feet from the subject, depending on their height, with a normal lens or focal length setting, the camera should be positioned to a height at the subject's waist level. In a ¾ length image, again with a normal lens or setting, the camera at about 6 to 8 feet from the subject, the camera height should be at the subject's chest level. In a head and shoulders image, with the camera tat about 5 to 6 feet away, again with a normal focal length, the camera height should be at the subject's eye level or slightly above. If you make the mistake of shooting down at your subject, some foreshortening will occur. Shooting from a lower than normal height will cause a disproportionate lengthening of the subject. ¾ length, head and shoulders and closeup head shots are best done with a longer lens or focal length setting (between 85 and 105mm is ideal for a full frame camera).

If the subject is actually heavy set or full figured and you wish to minimize this appearance, there are posing and lighting techniques that can be employed. Establishing a stance where the subject's body is NOT head on to the camera is helpful- a position whereby the body is approximately 45 degrees to the camera is advisable. Flat lighting should be avoided- natural light or off camera flash striking the subject at anywhere between 35 and 90 degrees from the camera/subject axis will have a slimming effect. Darker clothing in solid shades and the avoidance of horizontal stripes or patterns will be helpful as well. Of course, all of this is applicable in some kind of a planned shot or formal session. If you are shooting on the fly or indiscriminately, you get what you get- it is what it is!

Most of theses aesthetics can be managed at the camera and should not require all kinds of unnatural “slimming” during editing and unless you are a skill retoucher, most of that stuff looks artificial.
The aforementioned are excerpts from traditional portraiture techniques and obviously can not necessarily applied to situations where the photographer has no control or does not wish to exercise such control. In formal portraiture, theses things are often a question of vanity and the subject's self image. I have been involved in professional portraiture for a very long time. I find that most folks like to appear at their best in photographs yet, they don't expect to look like “somebody else”. I can write a book about body types and self image but suffice it to say that most heavier folks don't expect to look “skinny” but do want to appear heavier than they are.

By the way- shooting in "portrait" orientation only refers to a vertical composition as opposed to "landscape" orientation means a horizontal format. So...portrait orientation does not automatically set things up, technically, for correct perspective and some portraits can be perfectly and artistically composed in a horizontal orientation.

I hope this helps.. If you are especially interested in portrait photography, visit us the “Advanced and Professional Portraiture” section here on the Hog. We are planing lots of Q&A and other interesting tutorials for the new year.