Portrait Zoom - Canon FD Lens Manual Book

Portrait Zoom

Approach even the dauntless with a telephoto lens.
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The four key points to better portraits are: 1) use a telephoto
lens, 2) blur the background, 3) place your subject in flattering
lighting, and 4) focus on your subject's eyes.
Using a focal length of 85mm or 100mm results in more natural-
looking portraits; also, your subject feels more comfortable
since you don't have to stand directly in front of him or her.
Focus carefully on the eyes, the most revealing part of a per-
son's face. Open the lens aperture as much as possible to
throw the background out of focus, and place your subject in
appropriate lighting (for women, soft indirect lighting may be
suitable; for the portrait at left, side lighting was used for an
intense effect). The Canon FD 75—200mm zoom lens itself to
portrait photography beautifully. As well as covering the focal
lengths from 85 to 135mm, its 200mm telephoto setting allows
you to capture natural expressions and gestures from several
meters away.
FD75-200mm 1/4.5, 1/250 sec. at f/4.5 IS064