6 Helpful Tips for Better Wide-Angle Portraits

Traditionally, portrait lenses fall somewhere around 85-135mm, perhaps a little wider at times. But that does not mean you should totally discount ultra-wide angle lenses; in fact, in certain situations, they can be just the right piece of gear to help you create something more unique than the standard shot. Nonetheless, they require some special considerations. This great video will give you six tips to ensure you can get the best wide angle portraits possible.

Coming to you from Wes Perry, this helpful video details six tips that will help you take better wide-angle portraits. Most photographers shy away from lenses wider than 35mm because the way they render a subject's face is generally considered unflattering, but that does not mean they are never appropriate. In particular, a portrait is often more than just a visual record of a person; rather, it tells a story about the person. In that case, it might not be enough to simply photograph the person; rather, you might want more context around the person to help tell that story, in which case, a wider lens can be quite useful. Check out the video above for lots of helpful tips from Perry. 

Alex Cooke's picture

Alex Cooke is a Cleveland-based portrait, events, and landscape photographer. He holds an M.S. in Applied Mathematics and a doctorate in Music Composition. He is also an avid equestrian.

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2 Comments

From 28 to 35 is my favorite for environmental portraits, cinematic crops ... better story telling.
That 135 to 200 I either use in a church for weddings or for makeup beauty shoots.

very good tips.