The influence of focal length and aperture on the perception of business portraits

Business portrait photographs are often perceived as neutral representations of professionals, although their impression is shaped by a series of technical decisions made during shooting. This paper examines how combinations of lens focal length and aperture, i.e. depth of field, influence the selection of business portraits regarding different communication effects. Six models, three male and three female, were photographed under controlled studio conditions using nine parameter combinations: 28 mm, 85 mm and 180 mm, and f/2.8, f/5.6 and f/11. For each model, respondents viewed a composite image made of nine photographs of the same person and selected the photograph that best matched the given impression. The analysis included selection frequencies, post-hoc comparisons and a robustness check using a logistic model. The results indicate that individual parameter combinations are systematically associated with different evaluations of the business portrait, opening space for empirically grounded shooting guidelines.