When it comes to portraiture, for the most part, 85mm is the traditional choice, with focal lengths around that number also seen as alternatives, such as 50mm, 100mm, and 135mm. 35mm is often used for portraiture, though it is rarely thought of as a primary option, being just a little wide for closer shots. Nonetheless, one well-known portrait photographer actually prefers 35mm above all other focal lengths, and this great video shares why, along with a wide range of images demonstrating its benefits.
Coming to you from Julia Trotti, this interesting video features her discussing why the 35mm lens is her favorite for portraiture. One of the advantages of the 35mm focal length is that it is closer to what the human eye sees than something like an 85mm, which gives it a rather natural feeling. On top of that, with a wider angle of view than most lenses, you get a bit more ability to include context from the subject's environment. That being said, 35mm is not so wide that you start to see significant effects of distortion in your subject. And in that sense, a 35mm lens is impressively versatile. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Trotti.
