Reference Photo Guide
Choosing a photo for your portrait
How do I choose a good photo?
- The photo should be in focus and your pet’s face should be clear
- Make sure it’s a pose and expression that you love!
- Try to choose a photo that’s been taken at your pet’s eye level
- Your pet should stand out clearly from the background of the image
- Your pet should be evenly lit (no blown out highlights or blocks of heavy shadow)
- Make sure that your pet’s ears (and any other body parts that you’d like to include) are clearly within the frame, and haven’t been cropped out of the picture
- The photo should ideally be taken on a digital camera (although most smartphones will do the job if you follow the previous guidelines)
With this in mind, you have a few options…
Choose an existing photo
If you’re like me, you may already have plenty of photos of your pet! In that case, simply choose a few favourites and send them to me. Together we’ll choose the perfect one for your portrait.
Take a new photo
If you have a smartphone or camera, you can take a new photo for your portrait. Check out the guidelines above, as well as my top tips for taking better pet photos with your phone.
Hire a professional
Professional photos make perfect references. I offer photography services in Northampton, and am part of a wide network of pet photographers if you’re looking for someone further afield.
If you’re unsure whether a photo is usable, feel free to send it to me – some images can be tweaked and adjusted. You can even send me a few different images, and together we’ll choose the one that will work best.
Please note: If you want to use a photo taken by somebody else e.g. a professional photographer, please make sure you have permission from them first.
PHOTO EXAMPLES
Here are some examples of good reference photos, and some not-so-good shots! They should give you an idea of what to look out for when choosing a photo for your portrait…
BAD
This photo is too dark and low quality – you can’t made out any detail in the dog’s face.
GOOD
This is a great example of a full body reference. The whole body is visible and sharp.
BAD
The cat is blurry and too small in the frame, so you can’t make out any details.
GOOD
The dog is sharp and fully in focus, with even light in his eyes and detail in his fur.
BAD
The contrast in this photo is too high – the highlights are blown and the shadows are black.
GOOD
This dog is sharp and evenly lit – you can see the details in her fur.
BAD
The light is falling unevenly on the dog, casting dark shadows on her face.
GOOD
The cat is looking straight at the camera and you can see detail in the fur and whiskers.
BAD
The angle and pose are not very flattering, and the ear is cropped out of the frame.
GOOD
This dog has a great expression, is evenly lit, and fully in focus.
OKAY
This would work perfectly as a headshot but the legs are too obscured for a fully body portrait.
GOOD
This dog is sharp and fairly evenly lit, with bright, clear eyes.
Ready to get started?
Drop me a message and let’s talk about creating your very own bespoke pet etching
Fine art pet portrait artist | Northamptonshire, East Midlands, UK
HOME | PORTFOLIO | PET PORTRAITS | CONTACT