Anonymous
Are there any properties beyond the flattering effect that make telephotos preferred for portraiture?

Pic contra-related; it's a portrait done at a wide-angle focal length. I'd also like to know /p/'s thoughts: crop on the left-hand side or no? I'm divided.
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
Sorry, posted PNG originally without realizing it. Have some EXIFy goodness.

Camera-Specific Properties:Equipment MakePanasonicCamera ModelDMC-FZ8Camera SoftwareAdobe Photoshop Elements 5.0 WindowsMaximum Lens Aperturef/2.8Image-Specific Properties:Image OrientationTop, Left-HandHorizontal Resolution240 dpiVertical Resolution240 dpiImage Created2007:07:09 08:18:57Exposure Time1/8 secF-Numberf/2.8Exposure ProgramManualISO Speed Rating200Lens Aperturef/2.8Exposure Bias0 EVMetering ModeCenter Weighted AverageFlashNo Flash, CompulsoryFocal Length6.00 mmColor Space InformationsRGBImage Width750Image Height498
>> Anonymous
they give you a nice working distance so the subject feels comfortable. it also blurs the background, so the photo is all about the subject
>> Anonymous
>>properties beyond the flattering effect
and well, teles dont do anything magical. they compress the perspective and flatten the face, so the nose and other depth is less pronounced
>> Anonymous
No real extra properties other than those listed, but aren't those enough to be selling points?
>> Anonymous
>>61390
Well, yeah, and I usually do use telephotos for portraiture. It's just I think one should know his tools and their effects as intimately as possible, and that and another portrait I happened to shoot at a wide angle focal length got me actively interested in the subject.
>> Anonymous
Apart from the telephoto > wide debate, I would like the say that this one would be loads better in a portrait config, instead of landscape.
>> Anonymous
>>61402
Really? About half the appeal of the photograph to me was how the color of the lighting in the background interacted with the color of the skin. That's why I shot it landscape.

Do you think cropping would work?