My Go-To Portrait Lens
Updated: Aug 21, 2021
I do a lot of portrait photography. Whether it's professional headshots, a creative studio portrait session, an outdoor headshot session or an outdoor portrait session, I find it hard to go past the Canon 50mm f/1.8mm STM lens.
It's a great lens if you're keen on portrait photography, regardless of your skill level.
Why? This little lens is lightweight and compact, and very affordable going for around $179 AUD, depending where you buy from. You can grab one from Amazon here.
This was the second lens I ever purchased and I've yet to disappointed by it. It's excellent for portrait work, especially when you are only capturing a single subject.
I've included a few examples of my work in this blog using the 50mm f/1.8 STM lens in different settings so you can see the crispness of the image, the background blur (or bokeh) and the detail.
I've also broken down the lens name below for you, so it isn't in camera-speak!
Lens: Canon 50mm f/1.8 STM
50mm set focal length - technically the standard in lens focal length. As it is set at 50mm this means you can't zoom in or out with this lens, you'll need to physically move yourself to include more or less in the image
The f/1.8 aperture - this is a wide aperture, meaning the image in the foreground is super crisp while the background is beautifully blurred. A wide aperture also means that more light into the lens, so it makes shooting in darker conditions easier without a tripod.
STM - Stepping Motor Technology, which means that it focuses silently, automatically and quickly.
This lens goes with me every single time. I never know when I might need it, or have an opportunity to take some creative portrait shots. And because it is so lightweight and small it's not a nuisance to have with you!
A few other specs!
Weight: it only weighs 159g (yep! super lightweight!)
Full Aperture Range (f/): 1.8 (wide) to 22 (narrow)
If you're looking to either a) get into portrait photography or b) add another lens to your collection without breaking the bank, the Canon 50mm f/1.8 STM is a brilliant place to start.
You can check out my portrait work here!
Steph x
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Grab one and start upping your portrait game: https://amzn.to/2G1ijDS