What Is the Best Lens for Portrait Photography?

When it comes to portrait photography, choosing the right lens can feel like finding the perfect pair of shoes - it needs to fit your style, feel comfortable, and work for the occasion. Whether you’re aiming for dreamy bokeh, sharp close-ups, or wide-angle editorial vibes, there’s a lens out there for you.

Let’s dive into the world of portrait lenses, explore the best options, and help you find the one that suits your creative vision.

Why Does Lens Choice Matter in Portrait Photography?

The lens you choose can make or break the story you’re telling through your portraits.

Here’s why it’s such a big deal:

• Focal Length: Determines how much of the scene is captured and how the subject appears in relation to the background.
  

• Aperture: Affects depth of field (blurry background, anyone?) and low-light performance.
  

• Perspective: Alters how natural or flattering the subject appears.

Best Focal Lengths for Portrait Photography

35mm: The Editorial Dream

The 35mm lens tends to be a love or hate focal length for photographers when used for portraiture.

Personally, I absolutely love it and it tends to be my go-to lens for many types of portraiture shoots - or it's at least usually the first lens I reach for at the start of most shoots, unless it's a headshot! I wouldn't really recommend it for headshots unless you're looking for a creative type of headshot and thinking out-of-the-box.

However, if you love blending your subject with their environment, the 35mm lens is your best mate. That's why it's a popular lens for fashion editorial shoots.

I personally reach for my 35mm lens when I want to:

• Capture portraits with an environmental context (think a person at a market or in a scenic outdoor location).
  

• Create an editorial vibe that feels dynamic and immersive.
  

• Emphasise storytelling, incorporating more of the background into the frame.

With an aperture as wide as f/1.4 or f/2.0, a prime 35mm lens delivers dreamy bokeh while keeping the subject connected to their surroundings. Be mindful, though: getting too close can distort facial features slightly, so give your subject a bit of breathing room - this is why I'd typically switch to another lens for more standard headshots.

Example image shot at 35mm:

As you can see, 35mm is a brilliant focal-length for showing your subject off within their surroundings, while the capability of shooting with a wide open aperture (f/1.4 in this shot) allows you to ensure there's enough separation between subject and background to make the portrait pop.

50mm: The Classic All-Rounder

Known as the "nifty fifty," and often available with different F-stop capabilities (such as a 50mm f/1.8 at a lower cost through to a 50mm f/1.2 at a higher cost), the 50mm lens is a portrait photography staple for good reason:

• Natural Perspective: Mimics how the human eye sees, making portraits feel authentic.
  

• Versatility: Great for head-and-shoulder shots or full-body portraits.
  

• Affordability: Many 50mm lenses are budget-friendly while offering stunning quality.

Pair this focal length with a wide aperture (f/1.8 or f/1.4 - unless you can push the boat out for the f/1.2), and you’ve got a creamy background blur that’s perfect for isolating your subject.

If you're fairly new to photography, I also recommend this as a perfect lens to learn with. It's affordable, light-weight, standard in focal length, and gives you the chance to get to grips with the range of apertures - most kit-lenses that are sold as standard with a camera body are zoom lenses that don't offer the capability of shooting with wipe open apertures.

Example image shot at 50mm:

The great thing about the 50mm is that it's very much a what-you-see-is-what-you-get type lens, in the sense that it produces images that are similar in proportion and perspective to what we see with our own eyes in real life. There are no surprises and it allows you to shoot very safely as you can be sure that camera lens distortion will be kept to an absolute minimum.

It is worth keeping in mind that although a 50mm certainly isn't a wide-angled lens, for portraiture photography you do often have to get a little closer to your subject to better frame them. In my opinion, the 50mm, unlike the 35mm, doesn't do a good enough job of creatively capturing portraiture subjects within their environmental setting. For this reason, I tend to prefer physically getting closer when capturing the image to ensure the subjects remain the star of the shot.

Read: Understanding the Exposure Triangle in Photography

85mm: The Bokeh King

For a flattering and professional look, the 85mm is the gold standard.

Here’s why it’s a favourite among portrait photographers:

• Perfect Compression: Flattens facial features slightly, which is incredibly flattering.
  

• Superb Background Separation: The shallow depth of field creates gorgeous, creamy bokeh.
  

• Comfortable Distance: You don’t need to get too close to your subject, making it ideal for candid or posed portraits.

An 85mm f/1.8 or f/1.4 is a fantastic option for headshots, but it also works beautifully for half-body and three-quarter-length portraits.

Example image shot at 85mm:

The 85mm focal length is perfect when you want to add some extra compression and background separation to the image. In many ways, I find the final result of an 85mm portraiture shot to be similar to that of a 50mm lens - just with a more polished and finer compressed finish. The main difference with this lens during the actual shoot is that you often find yourself moving further back from the subject than you do with other prime lenses in order to better frame them. This can usually be seen as a positive though as it means you're not all up in their face with the camera.

70-200mm: The Telephoto Powerhouse

When I need jaw-dropping background separation or want to keep my distance from the subject, I grab my trusty 70-200mm f/2.8 lens. This lens is also available in a less expensive f/4 version, but for portraiture photography you'd seriously miss the f/2.8 aperture - so, I'd strongly suggest paying the extra for the f/2.8 version if you know it's a lens that you're going to want to shoot portraiture-type stuff with.

This lens is a beast for:

• Headshots: Compresses the background, drawing all attention to your subject.
  

• Event Portraits: Perfect for capturing candid moments without being intrusive.
  

• Dynamic Framing: Zoom flexibility lets you experiment with composition.

While heavier and pricier than prime lenses, its versatility and image quality make it a worthwhile investment.

Example images shot at 200mm:

Both images used above were shot at 200mm and with an aperture of f/2.8 to display the full effect of background compression and separation at this focal length - on both occasions, shooting at 200mm meant that I was stood very far back indeed in order to correctly frame the subjects as you see them. So far back, I had to literally shout instructions.

These long focal lengths allow for stunningly creative portraiture shots and dreamily compressed headshots, though I do find 200mm can sometimes be overkill. You may want to use this lens to first experiment with various distances and focal lengths in the range of 100-175mm to get a feel for what kind of results you can yield and to discover what level of compression your eye favours.

Read: How to Stop Taking Bad Photos

Other Lenses Worth Mentioning

• 24mm: Great for creative, wide-angle portraits that emphasise the environment. Ideal for lifestyle or travel portraits.
  

• 135mm: A specialised portrait lens offering exceptional compression and dreamy bokeh. Perfect for dramatic, artistic shots - and perhaps more suitable for you if you feel the 70-200mm mentioned above provides more zoom than you need for portraiture work.

How Aperture Impacts Portraits

Wide apertures (like f/1.4 to f/2.8) are game-changers for portraits.

Here’s what they do:

• Shallow Depth of Field: Keeps the subject sharp while creating a creamy, out-of-focus background.
  

• Better Low-Light Performance: Wide apertures let in more light, making them perfect for golden hour or indoor shoots.
  

• Creative Flexibility: Allows you to control how much of the background is visible.

While wide apertures are magical, don’t be afraid to stop down (e.g., f/4 or f/5.6) if you want more of your subject or background in focus.

Choosing the Right Lens for Your Style

Not every lens is perfect for every photographer.

Think about:

• Your Shooting Environment: Tight spaces? Go for a 35mm or 50mm. Outdoor portraits? Try 85mm or 70-200mm.
  

• Your Style: Want storytelling vibes? Pick wider lenses. Crave separation and simplicity? Opt for telephoto options.
  

• Your Budget: Prime lenses (35mm, 50mm, 85mm) are often more affordable than f/2.8 zooms and still deliver stunning results - in many cases, arguably sharper and of better quality than most zooms.

  
  

Read: The Power of Portrait Photography: Telling Stories Through Images

A Quick Lens Cheat Sheet

Here’s a quick guide to help you decide which lens might be best for the job:

My Final Thoughts

At the end of the day, the best lens for portrait photography is the one that helps you tell your story. Whether you’re using a 35mm for an editorial feel, a 50mm for versatility, or a 70-200mm for that wow factor, it’s all about finding what works for your vision. Experiment, have fun, and don’t be afraid to get creative.

After all, photography is as much about the journey as it is the results!