Guidelines to help you get the best experience
Need to know, tips and useful information
Photos
PHOTO SUBMISSION
Photos are such a great tool for me understand your pet as I get to see their personality in action. I really do want to know all about their character before I set to work. Simply send me your photos by email or by post, and I'll work with you to choose the best reference and character images for your portrait to capture your dogs likeness in striking detail and the best things you love about them.
WHAT TO TAKE
The photos you submit need to portray their personality in the way you love best. If you do this, you can't go wrong. Your pet may have a pose when he is begging (my dog's head rests on the edge of the sofa and he stares - for ages!) or tilts his head from side to side when he is listening. Does he pull a face when he is playing? my dog's bottom jaw drops slightly when he is waiting in anticipation for a ball to be thrown.
What physical features do you love most?
The long ears, the asymmetrical beard, the little grey hairs peeping above the eyes. The 'white sock' on his back foot.
Keep these things in mind when you take your photos. Identify the best attributes - the things you don't want to forget - as it will help me capture your pets true likeness in a way that leaves you feeling love and warmth, every time you see the portrait.
DON'T HAVE DECENT PHOTOS?
Sometimes new photos are not going to be possible to obtain, if you do not have the means to take pictures, or if the pet has sadly passed away. I can still produce a portrait you will certainly treasure, from old photographs and doing some research. Depending on the quality of the photos, I might ask questions about the hair texture, colouring and any features you can remember. Please get in contact if you are in any doubt - I am more than happy check the suitability of the photos and chat with you before any commitment has been made.
TAKING GOOD PHOTOS
I normally have about 1-3 images to work with. These are for true colour likeness, detailing, getting a '3D' impression plus the image we have agreed on for the portrait itself. The photos you submit must clearly show the direction of the fur, markings, eyes, nose and true colour. My clients have taken photos on their phones successfully, so please have a go. Take as many photos as you can. Set your phone's camera to the highest resolution setting and follow these instructions for greater success:
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Use the highest resolution setting.
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There has to be good lighting to see the true colour of your pet's features.
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Take photos in natural light, by a large window or outside on a fairly overcast day.
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Avoid bright sunny days as this creates cast shadows making finer details unclear on your pet, alters colours and makes your pet squint.
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Keep the sun behind you.
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Don't photograph at night or use interior lighting - it alters colours too.
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Please wait until you can take photos outside or close to natural light like a large window or door as mentioned above
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Get closer and fill the lense with your pet.
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Don't take shots too far away. I need to see a good level of detail around the pet, the background is not important.
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Keep in-focus so that I can see individual markings that make up your pets unique character.
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Go back and check the photo to see if the image is fuzzy when you zoom in; if it is, I won't be able to use it. Delete it so you don't mix the good pics with the bad.
What I can't accept:
Images that are too dark or overexposed. It is very hard to impossible for seeing the finer details.
Photos that have low resolution, poor lighting or out of focus, for the same reason. If your phone is a few years old and isn't upto the task, a friend or someone in the family may be able to assist.
ANGLE AND POSES
Please submit photos from several different angles so I can create a '3D' image of your pet, which is necessary for any editing. For the pose, take pictures at eye-level so the head and body stay in proportion and the pose is more natural. If the image looks distorted, try the portrait mode on your phone's camera - this might stop the 'long-nose' effect. And lastly, go with a pose that you feel best reflects your pet's nature and beautiful features.
For a Head and Shoulder profile, 3/4 poses are very nice - the head is turned at a different angle to the body, but looking more towards you, rather than facing flat forward or a side profile, but the choice is yours.
THE PHOTOSHOOT
The quality of the photos are so important, as I can only paint what I see. Have some treats and toys - even a friend - as back up if your companion isn't sitting still. These things can take time. Tricks my customers have used include squeaking toys, rustling objects and making animal noises to get their attention. Don't feel disheartened if you don't get the perfect photo straight away - this rarely happens. Also, this experience might be new to you and your pet, so make it fun and have a few runs at it. Be patient. Try later on, but don't give up. It will be worth it. You will get a photo you are proud of.
EDITS
I can usually remove these items from your chosen photo so that there is more focus on the animal: collar, name tag, lead or harness. I can also easily remove tear stains, dirt from paws and noses, and grey colouring to make your pet appear more youthful, if you wish. Please let me know when we are discussing the composition of your portrait if you wish to make any changes to your photograph.
MORE THAN ONE PET TO DRAW
It might feel like an impossible task capturing each pet perfectly in one photo. If you prefer, I can work with individual photos of each pet and combine them all in one portrait, but the key is consistency. The rules above still apply, and you must ensure: 1) Photos of each pet must be taken from about the same angle and level, 2) The light for each pet must be the coming from the direction3) The pose of each pet must be consistent.
I hope these tips are useful. I am always happy to take the time to discuss your reference photos with you, offering tailored advice to suit your needs.
