What lens to invest in for beauty photography?

[Natasha1992]

Hi everyone,

I work for a small-scale beauty brand, we have a tight budget but so far have been working with a kit lens (Canon 70D). We want to be able to shoot tight beauty shots (which include close up portraits) and texture photography.

References:

Swatch Photography:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BmJMCjBFJ4C/

What we have managed to shoot with Kit Lens:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BqJs-J7AqO2/

https://www.instagram.com/p/BkVhOMGjSat/

Most importantly, I would like to take detailed close up shots of the product + faces. We shoot mostly in natural light.

References:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BcbgNLODULb/

Currently, I managed to shoot this portrait on a kit lens (frustrating lens for beauty shots):

https://www.instagram.com/p/BgtcGk_HHQ1/

But I'd like to achieve this finish (I understand a lot of retouching is involved):

https://www.instagram.com/p/BpPjJcknKZ1/

https://www.instagram.com/p/BqgAorGHTVs/

https://www.instagram.com/p/BoCCXhcBJGq/

https://www.instagram.com/p/BlF9HOxB3V_/

I've been told to invest in the 100mm but I'm hesitant - will we be too limited? Is there any other lens that allows us to take beautiful close ups and slightly wider angle shots as well.

- Please share your suggestions keeping in mind natural light shooting, versatility, and the Canon 70D + 700D. (+limited budget!)

-I'm also trying to start a studio for content creation for beauty + lifestyle brands - so I will be shooting alot of textures + swatches, hand shots, beauty shots, lifestyle flat lays, sink shots etc. What lens would you recommend?

Thank you,

[merleastrology]

Portrait lenses are called portrait lenses for a reason, man.

[shadowsports]

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@merleastrology wrote:

Portrait lenses are called portrait lenses for a reason, man.

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Greetings,

What's that comment mean exactly?  This is a 4 yr old thread, and the last reply came from someone with a lifetime of expert photographic experience. 

What "portrait lens" might you recommend for a 70D?  Its a Rebel (APS-C) remember.  

Welcome to the community.  This is your first post.  Please consider your audience.  We look forward to your continued contributions.    

[korrywoltz]

You can use any good-quality portrait lens to take pictures of models. Get the EF 50mm f/1.8 STM Canon. I've been using one of those for a few years now. I think it's great for studio and even outdoor work. Many models say they are comfortable when I look at them through the lens. But if you need portrait photography for small subjects on a table or for a nail salon, get the EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM. It's a great option for such purposes. I recently helped my girlfriend photograph her models' hands. She had completed nail tech classes at beauty college. And she urgently needed pictures for her portfolio to get hired at a prestigious urban beauty salon. So I helped her create her portfolio.