Lens recommendations for portraits from UK Shooters

Ahead of the sold-out, MPB-supported portrait meet, a few members of the creative events community UK Shooters share their rundown on their go-to lenses for portraits.

Teja Lisjak says “the 50mm f/1.8 lens, the ‘nifty fifty’, is my all-time favourite lens. Besides being super affordable, which is great if you are just starting out, it’s also small, light and easy to carry. Because of its very wide aperture, it is also great for low-light photography. With this lens, you can also create amazing out-of-focus highlights, also known as bokeh. This lens helped me grow as a photographer because it requires you to think creatively about your composition.”

For Mike Will, “a 35mm f/1.4 GM is the perfect lens for portraits. I like to set the scene with something wide enough to tell a story with the location, but also have the focus on the model. Stopping down to 1.4 creates an awesome amount of bokeh and brings the image to life. If you don't have the budget for a 1.4 (these are often more expensive) you can always use a 2.8 or 1.8 lens as well. My first ever lens was a 35mm 2.8 and I shot everything with that, then I got a 1.4 after a few years of experience.”

GiGi Umbrasaite, meanwhile, says “the 85mm f/1.4D is known to be the most classic focal length to create the most flattering portraits and close-ups. This lens will capture the subject true to the eye and won’t distort the face or facial features. It’s great for closeups, three-quarter length and even full-body—you just might need a bigger space to step back. If you’re looking for a prime portrait lens that has the most beautiful bokeh for subject separation, 85mm f/1.4 is the lens for you.”

Finally, Gareth Davies says “When it comes to lenses with variable focal lengths, there are few better than the 24-70mm f/2.8 L USM for portraits. Gives you that mixture of wide, mid-range and tight focal lengths, all while still at a nice f/2.8 aperture, giving you nice bokeh and blurred background. Definitely, a jack-of-all-trades lens that leads to brilliant results.”

Gareth goes on to add “the 105mm f/2.8 EX is in my opinion, is still an underrated lens. It has the ability to capture great shots in many situations. However with portraits is where it really comes into its own, the compression at 105mm and at f/2.8 aperture leaves you with a very clean image and beautifully blurred background.”

Thanks, guys. You can find out more about UK Shooters on Instagram @uk.shooters Or, read more interviews on the MPB content hub.