6 | PORTRAITS
Shoot a length
Wendy Evans explains what different lengths in portrait photography each have to offer
Future / 2013 TeamRock
On the face of it, a portrait is a portrait, right? Not so, because the portrait length alone dictates a number of things that you have to be concerned about and, equally, can be ignored. Here, I’m going to look at the three common lengths and what they have to offer. These are the headshot, three-quarters length and full-length portrait. Typically, you’ll shoot these with a 50mm or 85mm portrait lens, but there are other options, such as a 200mm focal length for the headshot or a wider angle lens for the three-quarters length, if you’re shooting a group of people. You can even use a wide-angle lens close-up, with the associated distortion, for creative effect.