SUMMARY
Photographer Mitch Lally presents three dependable portrait setups designed to provide a solid starting point for any shoot. The 'contextual full body' shot uses a standard focal length to keep the subject and outfit in focus while blurring the background. The 'compressed close-up' employs telephoto lenses (85mm or longer) to isolate details like faces or textures, using distance and wide apertures to create dreamy backgrounds. Finally, the 'environmental portrait' utilizes wide-angle lenses (24-35mm) to balance the subject with a sharper, more prominent background.
TAKEAWAYS
Three reliable portrait setups: contextual full body, compressed close-up, and environmental.
Each setup maps to specific focal length ranges for intentional subject-background relationships.
Standard focal lengths are good for full body shots, telephotos for close-ups, and wide angles for environmental portraits.
Understanding focal length's effect on compression and context is key to effective portraiture.