Reference photo guide
A high resolution photo, in focus and evenly lit, will make the best reference. A digital camera is best for this unless your phone camera is really good.
It's so important that your pet's eyes and nose are clearly in focus and that the direction of the fur growth is visible when zoomed in.
The best quality photos will result in the best quality portrait!
Here are my top tips for choosing or taking a good photo:
Oscar is too far away in this photo. If you zoom in you can’t see any detail - he’s just too small.
Your subject needs to be a good size in the frame.
Try getting down to your pet's eye level. With dogs, it helps to hold their attention if they can see a treat just above the camera.
Stanley is in good natural light here with no harsh shadows or highlights covering large areas. Overcast days are best for this.
He is close enough and the image is quite high-res, so If we zoom in we can see his fur direction clearly. His eyes would be better from the front, but this is a typical pose for him so in this case - it works.
Chilli is at eye level but really close to the camera, so her nose is larger than life. This photo was taken with a phone, using a filter.
It’s nice and clear though, and because we liked the effect, we chose this as a reference photo. If you like the effect - no problem!
Things to avoid
Bright sunlight and indoor lighting.
Red eye/camera flash.
Blurry, low resolution images with no detail.
”Portrait mode” on iPhone - it can blur edges and make whiskers disappear!
Shrinking the photo when you send it to me. Please send them full size.
Ideally, I’d work from one perfect photo, but the next best thing is to choose one for the pose and use additional pics for the details like the eye and fur colours. Talk to me if you’re not sure.
Get in touch to start a conversation about a commission, or just to ask me for more information. I’m happy to help!