Portrait photographers often overlook a telephoto lens because many people are under the misconception that these lenses are only for stunning skylines and distant subjects. However, these versatile pieces of photography equipment can create stunning portraits that flatter your subject better than an 18mm lens. Using a telephoto lens when shooting portraits will help reduce distortion that can unfortunately occur with wide-angle lenses.

The focal length of telephoto lenses range from about 28mm to 800mm and above. The longer the focal length the more detail the lens can capture from a distance. It also means the lens is bigger, heavier and more expensive. Telephoto lenses can be separated into three types:

1. Short Telephoto Lenses - These range from 85mm to 135mm (your mileage may vary) and are perfect for shooting candid shots and portraits. For example, the short telephoto lenses allow you to take stunning pictures at weddings where you're close to your subjects yet you don't want to intrude in the process. These shorter lenses are lightweight, compact and easier to hand, which allows for fast shooting.

2. Medium Telephoto Lenses - Ranging from 135mm to 300mm, medium lenses are ideal for action and sport photographers who -- for example -- are standing on the sidelines but need to get close to where the action is. This type of photography requires proper aperture setting to minimize blur when shooting fast-moving subjects.

3. Super Telephoto Lenses - Typically, these types of telephoto lenses -- which range from 300mm and beyond -- are used only in professional nature, wildlife and sports photography, and are not used for portraits.

These are not hard and fast numbers and you can find a number of ranges to play with. For instance I've fallen in love with the 28-300mm Nikor lens that lets me stand back and zoom in tight for great portrait photos.

Longer lenses provide a shallow depth of field, which helps isolate the subjects from the background and creates a strong, pleasant image. However, remember not to stop down the camera's aperture too much and instead leave it a bit wide so you don't lose the depth of field. When shooting from below or above the subject, you can unintentionally lose the unwanted perspective. With a telephoto lens, you are able to step back from the subject and the farther away you are, the less noticeable the height difference will be. This provides you with a head on, level view. Keep in mind that these longer lenses generally require a higher shutter speed to prevent camera shake.

Using a telephoto lens can help you step out of your comfort zone and improve your photography no matter what level of experience you have under your belt. Plus it'll let you keep your distance from your subject so you can still get great portraits without standing in his/her face.

Even though the camera doesn't make the photographer, the lens can make the camera and careful consideration should be given for deciding which lens you should use. The best lenses for beginners depend on what the novice photographer will be shooting. For example, if you want a versatile lens that you can whip out for any occasion; consider the normal 50mm lens. The wide-angle lens is the ideal choice for landscape photography while macro lenses work best for extreme close-up nature photography. Once you figure out what you plan on doing with your camera, you can decide which lens is the best choice for your situation.

For the longest time I only owned one lens and that's a good thing. It's good because technique is more important that what lens is on the camera. But pretty soon I realized there was simply no way of getting those sweeping landscape shots that I aspired to without changing my lenses. I quickly started learning the best lenses for beginners. Here are three great ones.

Normal 50mm Lenses

All photographers -- no matter what their level of experience -- should own a fast 50mm lens. The 50mm lens has a depth of field that most mimics that of the human eye and is the ideal go-to lens that can work for just about any situation. Also called standard 50mm lenses, this lens produces clean, sharp images and is one of the more affordable lenses on the market. The Nikon 50mm f/1.8G AF-S Nikkor Lens, Nikon 50mm f/1.4D AF Nikkor lens and Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II are three good choices for beginners.

Wide Angle Lenses

For beginners focusing on environmental, landscapes and architectural photography, choose a wide-angle lens. However, how wide is wide enough? A 20mm to 28mm lens should provide a good focal length for most situations. The extremely wide lenses -- such as 14mm or 16mm -- are available, but are generally too expensive and not necessary for beginner photographers. Nikon 20mm f/2.8D AF Nikkor lens and Canon EF 20mm f/2.8 USM wide angle lens are two good choices for beginners looking for a wide-angle lens. For more advanced landscape folks you'll want to try the 14-24mm Nikor lens, it's big and beautiful.

Macro Lenses

Defined as photography at 1x magnification and above, macro photography is most often used for extremely close up pictures of insects and flowers. These specialty lenses are not necessary if you are planning on limiting your pictures to portraits or landscapes. However, if you want to get up close and personal with nature, consider the macro lens. There are several macro lenses available on the market and trying to find which one is best for beginners can be a difficult task. When choosing the lens, consider the working distance and focal length. Macro lenses range between 50mm to 200mm. The short focal length lenses are ideal for object photography while the longer focal lengths work better for insect photography. Furthermore, the longer the focal length, the more camera shake you will have to deal with. If you plan on hand shooting the camera via handholding, consider a 100mm macro lens for insect photography. However, if you will be using a tripod, consider a 150mm to 200mm lens.

Just start somewhere and grab the 50mm lens for a few portrait shots. Once you see the beautiful depth of field you'll never go back.

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