Ways to use an 85mm lens in photography.
Learn why an 85mm lens is so versatile and how to use one to take breathtaking photographs.
Photographers use different lenses for certain purposes. For sporting events, you’d probably choose a lens with a longer focal length, above 200mm or so. On the other hand, to capture cityscapes you might use a 24mm.
Right in the middle is the 85mm camera which can capture different types of photos without having to necessarily swap out your lens. Because of this, an 85mm lens is incredibly versatile — plus, it makes for a great travel camera. Experiment with your 85mm lens and use the tips below as inspiration for your next shoot.
Using an 85mm lens for portraits.
A wide-angle lens can distort your subject’s proportions. A telephoto lens can really only snap subjects that are far away. Because the 85mm lens isn’t particularly short or long in focal length, it hits the sweet spot for portraits in a way other lenses simply can’t.
This means you can be a few feet away from someone to capture their portrait, or you can get up close and personal — just adjust your 85mm’s aperture settings and it’ll handle nearly anything that comes your way.
85mm lenses are surprisingly resourceful.
When you head out on a shoot, you might pack a few different lenses to be ready for anything. But if space is limited or you only want to pack a single lens, your 85mm will likely get the job done. With the right aperture and shutter speed you can successfully capture:
- Landscapes
- Bokeh effects
- Street scenes
- Close-ups
- Nature and wildlife
After a shoot, import your pictures into a photo editing app to crop and enhance final images that will be ready to share with friends and family. Take a moment to learn more about photography with cool, new tips and tricks. Then, explore everything you can do with Adobe Lightroom to take full advantage of your 85mm lens.