5 Simple pictures that show why 100m focal length is best

This is really one of my biggest peeves about photographers shooting portraits. Lots of photographers will insist on using wide angles lenses - where wide angle is anything less than 70mm.

There is a common myth that a 50mm focal length is "realistic" - well only sort of - and really only when we're talking landscapes. If we are discussing portraiture then the answer is absolutely NO!

Here's why:

This shot is taken with a 105mm Focal Length. everything is in correct proportion. The model looks perfect. Now look what happens as we zoom out and get shorter and shorter focal lengths.

70mm is just about OK, but we're starting to see some distortion creeping in.

50mm is NOT OKAY. The figure is getting more and more distorted - and we are starting to get more of the edges of background appear.

And when we get to 24mm you can see the whole thing has really gone to pot. This is not a normal, well proportion woman any more.

Compare them side by side - the 105mm is on the left, the 50mm is on the right. See the difference, she's squashed in all sorts of weird ways!

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