Hello everyone...

I am usually on the sports forum, but I needed to ask a question...I am looking into buying a lens for portrait photography...Can you guys make a suggestion? I have looked at the 50mm f/1.8.

We have a new addition to the family...a Ragdoll kitten...and I want to pose him, and get some really good shots...And I also have some awards ceremonies to go to, that I will need to get some Really good posed shots for sale....

I would love any info you can get me started with, since this is new to me...any setting info would be greatly appreciated as well....trying to expand my capabilities....

Thanks everyone...

Hello my friends, your 85mm work just fine for portraits. But if you in a small room that would be a wall you re going to back into, I thinks your 18-55 is a good choice for that. remember trying to keep it somewhere between 25mm to 55 to avoid distortion.

The 85mm would work, as would the 70-200 f/2.8 at the wide end - wedding photog last weekend used that almost exclusively. But if you want/need something a little wider, the 50mm takes fantastic portraits. Besides, everyone should have that lens.

Settings, I don't have any fancy equipment, but for the 50mm I keep the aperture in the 2.8 - 5.0 range to get good bokeh but not so shallow the hair is out of DOF. I'll go wider if I have to in poor light. Window light makes for a great look. That's all I've got.

Thank you so much, I have looked into the "nifty fifty" though maybe it should be an addition to my lenses....my living room is small, and I am not sure the 85mm will work, but I am going to give it a shot tonight....I have just ordered a new flash, since all I have is the built in flash...is that something hard to learn to use...something new again...always something to learn that is for sure....

Thanks again

For portraits I love my 50mm f1.8 but the build quality is rather poor, I went cheap b/c I didn't know how much I would be using it. I wish I would of just spent more now and got the F1.4 for better build b/c I use this lens all the time.

I like 85mm at 1.8 or 2.2 or the 70-200 at 130-200/2.8. I also like the 17-40 wide with a cool environment to give the subject context.

Betty, the flash is a whole new ball of wax.

This link may help. There are some good links in it and some good info too.
http://forums.photographyreview.com/showthread.php?p=173608

Thank you Jeta...
At least I know you had to ask the same questions....at one time anyway...LOL...
Sounds like I will have to learn to get the hang of it...just like everything else....LOL

Thanks again...