Small subtleties can make a huge difference in photography.
A 35mm lens on full-frame is considered wide-angle. One could argue that 35mm is on the tighter side of wide-angle. The 35 has a unique advantage. It has the familiar smartphone appeal. Why is this important? Many find comfort in the familiar. The 35mm gives a somewhat distorted fish-eye vibe consistent with a smartphone but does so in a much more natural aesthetically pleasing way. That makes it a great option for headshots and portraits in the year 2022. The 35mm lens truly shines for group shots. The wider angle provides an excellent natural view for multiple subjects. The Yongnuo 35mm f2.0 was the second cheapest lens of the group coming in at about $100 brand new.
The 50mm is essentially the Swiss army knife of portrait photography. It is considered on the shorter side of telephoto but could be considered wide for telephoto. The nifty 50 is truly a happy medium between 35mm and 85mm. Honestly, this is the focal length I find myself using for most family portraits. The reason why it provides natural-looking close-ups and great group shots as well. I purchased my Canon 50mm f1.8 for about $70 used and it is the lens I would recommend to any beginning portrait photographer because of the high quality and low price.
Headshot photographers swear by the 85mm focal length, and for good reason. The 85 shines at giving a large amount of background separation. This is the best for getting that smooth blurred background. You will find yourself standing a bit further away from your subjects while using an 85mm, but it can take wonderful group shots as well. When used correctly, this lens is magical. The difference between a 35 and 85 is a great contrast. Two completely different looks. The Canon 85mm f1.8 is by far the more expensive lens of the group. The good news is, you can find one used for usually just over $200. It’s safe to say the results of this lens are what people often think about when they think of professional photography.
This experiment was simple. I took a few pictures of my beautiful model and edited them with similar settings. It is a real-world scenario with fairly dim kitchen lighting. I tried to get essentially the same shot with each lens. The look varies as each lens brings its own flavor. Which focal length do you prefer?
