Adjust Focal Length and Distance for More Attractive Photos
The old mantra that “the camera adds 10 pounds” is not entirely untrue, depending on how you shoot. As photographer Dan Vojtech points out, your focal length and distance to your subject can make a big difference in how it looks.
The reason for this has to do with the way cameras compress space at a specific focal length (which you can read about here if you’re unfamiliar with the concept). If you are using a short focal length, such as 20mm, you have to be very close to focus correctly. From this distance, the tip of a person’s nose can be several times farther than the back of his shoulders.
If you’ve ever seen The Lord of the Rings, you may be familiar with how this distance can affect the perception of body parts. Simply put, the farther from the camera an object is, the smaller it looks. It’s the same trick they used to make life-size Elijah Wood appear the size of the Hobbit while standing next to Ian McKellen. Likewise, if your subject’s nose is at the same distance from the camera as his shoulders from his nose, his shoulders may start to appear smaller. This can compress the face and body so that they become smaller than they actually are (and therefore the nose is likely to become larger).
On the other hand, if you are using a longer focal length, you will need to be further away from the camera in order to take the correct shot. This can cause body parts to overlap and appear tighter, but it can also accentuate certain parts of the body. If you’re shooting a few feet away from your subject, the inches between nose and shoulders won’t seem so far apart, so their proportional size will be different for the camera.
There is no “right” focal length or distance to shoot, so you can’t just pick one for the flattering shot, but it’s something you can play with when shooting. Check out Dan’s post below for a selection of photographs that highlight the difference that focal length can affect your portraits.
It’s Surprising How Focal Length Affects Face Shape | Dan Voitech’s blog via Design Taxi