wdross Loc: Castle Rock, Colorado

Photographers shoot portraits anywhere from 50mm to 150mm. Most shoot head and shoulders with 85mm to 100mm. My favorite is 90mm. It flattens the image some while leaving the person's features relatively undistorted.

Jcthebaptist4950

Thank you for your insight, I sure will check it out.

E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada

"Portraits" and "a portrait lens" are both very broad terms. Hang in with me for a few minutes and I'll explain.

Perspective management in portraiture is very important in order to avoid distortion that results in unflattering elongation, foreshortening, or misshaping of facial features or body proportions. Perspective is mainly control by workg distance between the camera (lens) and the subject. Selecting the proper focal length is important because it allows you to work at the proper distance in order to maintain a good perspective and negate distortion.

In any given composition, if you are work in too close you can, for example, elongate a subjects nose, exaggerate the size of hands or limbs of the are included in the composition or make a subject look unrealistically short or disproportionate in a full-length portrait. If you are too far away from you can compress the shape of the face so it looks more like a disk than a sphere- this lessens modelubg. Work too far away with very long lenses can minimize the illusion of depth because it tens to compress the distance between the subject and the background.

As for "portraits" that can be tight headshots, traditional head and shoulders (bust) composition, 3/4 length portraits, full-lenght portraits or group portraits with two or more subjects- perhaps family group images in full length. There are also case where you may want to include negative space and not fill the frame with the subject.

For your DX camera- good working distances can be established with these approximate focal lenghts as follows:

Tigh headshots and head and shoulders- 85mm to 105mm, 3/4 poses - 50mm to 75mm, full-lengh and groups 50mm. in extremely tight spaces where distance is limited by space, you can get away with 35mm for large groups but you need to very mindful of levelling the camera and maintaining vertical parallelity, which means not shoot tilting upward from very low positions or tilted down from very high positions.

Keeping someof these suggestions in mind, you may want to consider a zoom lens that will encompass the aforementioned focal lengths.

Another consideration is the lens's speed- maximum aperture. A fairly fast lens is desirable for selective focus control in that you can work a wide aperture to blur backgrounds, obtained "bokeh" effects. F.2.8 or thereabouts should suffice.

I fully understand that you need to consider the budget. I have seen many decent zooms in the new and used markets. I am very impressed with someof the Sigma "Art lenses but unfortunately, they are pricey- about $1400- new for a really cool zoom that would encompass all of the above focal lengths.

If there is only one fixed focal length lens in the budget- I would suggest the 85mm and work around the limitations.

Personally, although back inthe film days I did most of my portrait work on large and medium format gear my all-time favourite portrait lens for 35mm film is the 105mm f/2.8 Nikor. Loog ago when the idea of converting the studio to digital was starting to emerge, I picked up a simple Nikon D-300 with a kit zoom, just to get the feel of shooting digital. I plugged in my weatherbeaten, completely abused, cosmetically destroyed OLD 105mm leftover from my press days and used it to make a few shots on all my closeup headshots and head and shoulder sessions. I was using that lens for a paperweight and considered demoing it to a doorstop- was I ever surprised. I'll post a shot. I still have that old wreck and purchase a full-frame body just so I can use it. It's got a "look" that I like!

So, here is my very first DIGITAL portrait. My favourite and always-willing model and granddaughter was dressing and making up for her senior high school play and hammed it up for grandpa playing with his new toy and old lens. Time flies- she is now a registered therapist working in a veterans hospital and I am an old guy with a gray beard- still working in a studio!

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

I doubt those lenses will fit on the OPs Nikon camera.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

Good advice. I’d prefer the 85, which foreshortened faces a bit more, due to the greater typical working distances used.

Jcthebaptist4950

Thank you sir for the information I had to read it several times, I did not realize all of this but I understand.
As a Vietnam Veteran I would appreciate it if you would thank your Granddaughter for her work with Veterans for me, Thanks again.

jerrym

A very good answer to a simple problem.

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

Now that you have seen 3 pages of pontification.
Get a 50mm f1.8 and be done with it.

E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada

Thank you for your service. I too am a Vietnam Vet- 2 tours in the country. Small world! Brooklyn born and raised!

Sarah, my granddaughter, started her college education as a hordacultriist and landscape designer. She volunteered at the Vet's long-term care facility here in Ottawa Canada and learned about horticultural therapy and was hooked. Then she went out to British Columbia in Western Canada to take the special courses and earned a special distinctive registration in her field.

She is now at the Rideau-Pearley Hospital and Long Term Care facility and Residence. Many of the residents are veterans of WW II and the Korean Conflict. It is little known that 30,000 Canadians crossed the border and volunteered for the U.S. military and served in Vietnam. Many settled in the U.S. after their service but many came back to Canada and there are a few of them in the Pearley.

Sarah maintains the many indoor and outdoor gardens on the campus along with the able residents. She teaches them to plant, garden, grow and cook the own vegetables. She teaches Yoga, natural cures, and coordinates withte occupational, music, and physiotherapists, doctors and nurses. She teaches the residents skills but she always tells me that she learns more from her most elderly residents about LIFE than she can ever teach them.

Covid was rough stuff! There were fewer outbreaks than other such facilities but there were losses. They were shot staffed and everyone on staff pitched in servingg meals and caring for disabled or frail residents. She spent all year in virtual hazmat attire. The kid has a golden heart.

Stay safe and well!

Jcthebaptist4950

You must be VERY PROUD OF HER.
Thank you for your service and may God Bless You and Your Family.

stan0301 Loc: Colorado

I have all those and a bunch more - but - a 28-70 f2.8 will be more flexible, cheaper, and I’ve left my 105’s and 85’s in the safe generally all the time - the short zoom makes cropping easy - f4 will blur your backgrounds (use 2.8 if you’re brave)

Jcthebaptist4950

I will definitely check it out.
Thank you very much

JohnBoy5562 Loc: Alabama

I agree I used that lens with the Nikon D7100 and now I have a D850 works great on both. But for Portrait the 60mm 2.8 work wonderful on the D7100.

PHRubin Loc: Nashville TN USA

If you click "quote reply" under the post you are answering as I did here, we can see what you are responding to.

tgreenhaw

You're right, I misread the question 🤔