Tips for selecting/taking good photos for your portrait

 

In order for me to create the best-possible portrait for you of your animal, here are a few criteria you should follow when selecting pictures, or strive for when taking photos. Please keep in mind that I will know your animal only from these photos, so good photos are essential for me to work from. So, the better your photos, the better your portrait will be!

 

 

1.       First and foremost, your photo(s) must be in focus! I can’t work with blurry out-of-focus photos. This extends to emailed photos that are pixelated and low-resolution. They may look sharp at your end, but low resolution pictures show up as little square pixels at my end. Keep in mind that I need to print out emailed pictures to have in front of me when I’m working on your portrait, and low-resolution photos do not print out well.

2.       The subject should be at eye level of the photographer. For a large animal (such as a horse) this is usually not a problem. To take pictures of your dog or cat or other small animal, get the animal at your eye level. Either get down on the ground, or set the animal on a table. Photos taken looking down at the animal or looking up at the animal usually don’t work well for a portrait.

3.       The subject must be fairly close-up in the photo. If you can’t see the animal’s eyes clearly, it’s too far away. I’ve received photos where the horse was at the far end of a one-acre pasture! The subject should be within a few feet of the photographer.

4.       Pay close attention to the lighting. I can’t work well with photos that are too dark or too light. The best lighting is outdoors on an somewhat overcast day.

5.       Pay attention to the shadows. If there are too many dark areas in the subject, I can’t see details.

6.       Photos should be selected that show off the animal’s true color the best. If your photos are too light or too dark, I won’t be able to accurately paint the animal’s coloring. Also, if there are hard-to-see markings, I need at least one picture that shows these markings well.

 

 

 

Frequently Asked Questions

 

Q: Can you include me in the portrait?

A: Sorry. At this time I only draw/paint animals. I have done some human subjects, but only those with whom I’m very familiar (ie my family members) turn out to my satisfaction.

 

Q: Can you do more than one pet in a portrait? And do they have to be in the same photo?

A: Yes, I can do multi-subject portraits. However, a small portrait cannot accommodate more than one subject, so the more subjects you want in a portrait, the larger the dimensions have to be. And the subjects do not have to be in the same photo. Often, I have clients who want a deceased pet in the same portrait as a new pet, so it’s not possible for the pets to have ever been photographed together. Also, I completely understand how difficult it is to get good photos of one pet, let alone having two or more animals sit still and pose for the camera at the same time!

 

Q: How long does it take to do a portrait?

A: It depends on the size of the portrait, the medium, and the time of year. Portraits tend to be a seasonal thing, and around Christmas time I get booked up very fast. Generally, it takes about three to four weeks from the time I receive your order/photos. Most often (except after November 1^st) I can accommodate “last minute” orders, but you would be responsible for additional rush delivery charges.

 

Q: Can I email you my photos?

A: I will only accept digital or scanned images that are high resolution. As I’ve stated above, in the tips for taking photos section, low resolution photos are the same as blurry pictures. Also, any images sent via email must be in jpeg format.

 

Q: Do you send my photos back to me?

A: Yes, all photos will be returned along with the final portrait.

 

Q: How do I order a portrait?

A: Decide on what medium and size you would like for the portrait, then go to the ordering page on the site.

 

Q: Do you paint background?

A: As a rule, I don’t like to paint extensive backgrounds. That requires at least as much time as the portrait itself, and would almost double the price of a portrait. In my opinion, “less is more”, meaning that a background takes away from the emphasis of the subject. However, if you have something specific in mind, contact me and we can talk about it.

 

Q: I noticed that pretty much all of the portraits are head and shoulder poses. I would like a full body portrait of my pet. Do you do that?

A: Certainly! It just happens that most of my portraits are head/neck poses, and at this time I have more of these on the site than full-body portraits.