Originally posted by photolady I have a family portrait shoot coming up soon. This portrait will be done outside at the beach/Atlantic Ocean.
Generally, you don't want a really sharp lens for portrait work ... but your location might change that depending on quality of the light. If your shoot is midday the light will likely be flat yet pretty contrasty. If this is the case, bright clothing and reflectors to add some modeling might be in order. A sharp lens and bright clothing, to me, go together.
I think any of your focal lengths might work fine depending on how much working space you have, both in front of and behind your subjects. The longer the lens, the more the sense of depth will compress; conversely the shorter the lens, the greater the sense of depth.