The one question I get asked the most is:

“Which lens should I buy to attain the best classic portraits?”

This is a highly discussed question and one that we have all faced at least once in our journey. To answer this question properly though, you have to keep in mind a few key details, such as what you are going to photograph and whether or not you are allowed any creative freedom in capturing it.

If you’re going to be photographing products or architecture, then you need to remember that the majority of the time you’ll have to document these things without any distortion and very limited creative liberties. If you take a picture of a building with a 50mm lens standing on the ground, the distortion created by that lens can give the impression of it falling over.

The same rule applies to smaller still life shots. Certain focal lengths of lenses are simply not well suited to represent the straight lines we see in architecture and packaging. Your client is not going to be too thrilled when you show them their building appearing to fall over or their packaging appearing bent and warped.

On the other hand, if you are going to be photographing people, there are no straight lines in sight and you can afford to use the lens distortions in your favor.

If you’ve made it this far, I’m sure you’ve probably realized this isn’t going to be a scientific approach with distortion graphs and calculus. This is simply my advice and opinion based on many years of experience behind the camera and client feedback of the work that I produce for them.

If I’ve ever taken a portrait with my 50mm lens and I’ve made my subject appear taller—and slimmer— they have yet to complain about it.

The point I’m making here is that, as photographers, we’re all in a creative market.

We have creative freedom to do whatever we think looks good, not necessarily what looks “right.”

So what do i use?

Personally I use 50mm lenses all the time, whether it be in the studio or on location. I've also found 40mm to be a very nice focal length as well, I call it my 50 with some more.

I find them by far and away the more versatile choice.

When I chose to purchase a 50mm, not only did I want the lens’ signature look, but I also wanted a lens that could properly represent my subject and the location they were in for an upcoming editorial.

It was a fashion shoot in a real life cave so I needed a lens that would give me great environmental photos. I knew that not only would the space be small but that I also wanted to show the location in the shot.

With the available space and look I was after in mind, this shoot would just not have been possible with an 85mm lens.