Photography Information

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When painting portraits from photographs, it is VERY important to have clear, close-up photos in order to capture every feature of the animal that makes it “them.”  Blurry, far-away and “washed out” photos are extremely difficult to work with in order to portray the true animal.  Too much sunlight or camera flash will be too bright and wash out the animals coat, preventing me from seeing the proper coloring.  Red eye (or green eye in an animal's case) will make their eyes (the most important of the features) difficult, if not impossible to portray correctly.  Photos taken from far away will prevent me from capturing the unique facial characteristics of your pet which makes them who they are.

 If you would like a custom portrait of your pet, I will need as clear a photograph as possible.  (Of course, if this is of  a pet who has passed away, I will try my BEST to capture each ones beauty from a collection of photos you currently have.)  More than one photo of your pet containing different angles and lighting is better than just one photo. The more photos I have to use, the better the finished portrait will be.  The best result is obtained from several different angles which shows their proper coloring. This is just as important as the "close-up" of the animal.  (ie...use different lighting situations until you find the ones that most resemble your pet's actual coloring.  Sometimes, sunlight will do this, however, an animal will "squint" in bright sunlight.  This is why I recommend minimal sunlight for the photo used for the portrait.)

You need to find your photos (or take new ones) of an up close headshot if this is for a head study.  Try to get as close as possible to your subject with minimal background showing.  Your pet should fill the camera frame as much as possible.  We also don’t want your pet looking up at the cameratoo far. This can make them look disproportionate in the face. If it is a horse or dog, you will want them to get those ears "perked up."  We want the portrait to look happy and interesting.  Ears lying down or pointing to the back of the head makes animals look, worried, nervous, etc.  Of course, if this is their personality, then this is what you want.

Outdoor photos are the best (without flash- unless it is "dusk" time) in muted sunlight.  We also don’t want the outdoors to be too cloudy either.  Too much shadow makes your animal darker than usual with minimal contrast or definition, and too much direct sunlight or flash makes your pet look washed out or too bright that can take away from their actual coloring and natural shading.  It seems that early morning and early evening sunlight is the best situation for photographing your pet. Early morning sun is good to use for photograpy.

Try taking the photo under a tree or near a building where minimal sunlight or shade is present.  Try to find that “happy medium” place.  Don’t forget that animals are our “children” and can become quite impatient and won’t sit still for long during the photography lesson.  Try to get another person to help you during this trying time.  (Leashes are fine as I can omit them from the portrait.)

This is an example of a photo that would be difficult to work with. There is "green eye" and, too much flash lighting on the fur (which washes out her beautiful brindle coat).

This is an example of a good photo. You can see the dog's eyes clearly and the angle of the dog's head is great for a portrait.

This is another example of a good photo.  Even though there is some additional sunlight on her face, I can tell she has a black "mask."  A little extra lighting can be beneficial whenever it is a black subject.  Not enough light makes it difficult to see features and the shape of the subject. Alot of black shadow can make it look like just a black hole and is not good for the portrait.

As you can see, proper photos are important.  If you can't seem to get the "perfect" shot, it is okay.  I can usually work through simple problems.  I can ask questions if I am concerned at all about what I am seeing in your pet.