Last Updated on 11/11/2019 by Mark Beckenbach
New to shooting portraits and not sure which lens is best? The 50mm f1.8 would be a great choice for this, as these snaps will prove!
Using the right lens matters for the kind of photography you want to do. For portrait photography, the 50mm f1.8 is one of the best and most recommended. If you’re still looking for a portrait lens to serve as your go-to glass for your shoots, this collection of photos may prove to you why the 50mm f1.8 makes a good choice. In one of their latest videos, Imogen and Mark of the Weekly Imogen channel on YouTube shared that the trusty 50mm f1.8 is their favorite lens. “When we first started working together 10 years ago, it was pretty much the only lens that we ever used for a good period of all the photos we took together,” said Imogen about it, which says a lot about how they’ve already mastered shooting with this lens. But, to show their viewers why, they shared a bunch of their favorite photos shot with this lens, and what qualities of the lens made the shots work for them.
“Why is a 50mm prime lens the perfect one to help you grow as a photographer you say? To start with they are usually very cheap and are within reach of photographers with any kind of budget. The 50mm focal length is incredibly versatile. A nifty fifty is perfect for street photography, portraits, documentary-style photography, events, and even landscape work.” – From Five Wallet Friendly 50mm Prime Lenses That Will Help You Grow as a Photographer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9Ietzky2_E
As Imogen also mentioned in the video, the photos they shared were all shot at f1.8. Being able to shoot that wide is a big plus when shooting portraits, and the photos all prove why. It gives a great separation of the subject from the background and produces really pleasant bokeh if that’s what you’re looking to see in your portraits.
Another advantage of this lens is it’s affordability over the 50mm f1.4. If you’re just starting out, but want to invest in a lens you’ll use for a long time, the 50mm f1.8 would be a great option. Also, Imogen mentioned that the extra depth provided by the f1.8 over the f1.4 will help you get more of the subject in focus, and will make them “pop” more from the background.
Shooting with a 50mm lens gives you just the right distance to be close enough to your subject so you can easily communicate poses or variations to them. From a model’s point of view, Imogen stressed that she found this really helpful and actually preferred to work in the “organic” way that came from being in close proximity to the photographer.
Do check out the Weekly Imogen YouTube channel for more of their photography tips and tricks.
Screenshot image from the video