Technical Journal, Vol. 20 No. 4, 2026.
Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.31803/tg-20260504173433
The Influence of Focal Length and Aperture on the Perception of Business Portraits
Vesna Uglješić
; Zagreb University of Applied Sciences, Vrbik 8, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
*
Miroslav Mikota
; University of Zagreb Faculty of Graphic Arts, Getaldićeva ulica 2, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Ivana Pavlović
; University of Zagreb Faculty of Graphic Arts, Getaldićeva ulica 2, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Jana Žiljak Gršić
; Zagreb University of Applied Sciences, Vrbik 8, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
* Corresponding author.
Abstract
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.
Keywords
aperture; business portrait photograph; depth of field; face perception; focal length
Hrčak ID:
351733
URI
Publication date:
15.12.2026.
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