Portraits on 28mm

When asked what is a good portrait lens, most photographers will refer to a 50mm or 85mm lens. They provide a nice look and can often blur out the background to further focus the viewer's attention at the subject. But what if we went really wide to 28mm? Is that too wide for good portraits?

Recently I’m discovering that some of my favorite portraits I’ve ever taken have been on the Ricoh GR1S. The 28mm f2.8 lens of the full-frame film camera is quite magical. At 28mm, we can get a very good sense of where the person is which can help us understand a small part of their life as we are inertly connected to our surroundings.

The 28mm allows you to really show the world which you see in front of you. To tell a deeper story beyond that of a simple face. You can show incorporate local cityscapes or show the lack of any views due to for and highlight a sole individual.