How To Photograph Your Pet

The quality of the photos you send me have a huge impact on the final result of your pet portrait. As well as being in focus, it’s important that your pet is featured large within the image. Ideally the pet is looking at the camera so I can clearly see important features like the eyes, nose and whiskers.

Additional images are always welcome to help me obtain more accurate colouring and character of your pet.

I cannot stress enough how important it is to have a clear photograph of your pet for me to work from. It is vital, as I have never met your pet and I really need to be able to see the eyes clearly and get the feel for their character.

Below is a guide for taking photos of your dog, cat, or any other animal you would like a portrait drawn of.

I need a photograph that is clear, up close (fill the view finder with your pet, not your house or garden!) and is of a pose that is typical of your pet.

To achieve this the following guide helps you get the photo you want.

Lighting

The best possible lighting is achieved outside or by a window in a bright room like a conservatory. A bright overcast day is best. No direct sunshine. Sunshine will make your pet squint and not show the true colours. When outside, stand with your back to where the sun would be behind the cloud and have your pet facing you. This gives the maximum natural light to your pet. See below a photo taken with the light that is behind a cloud and is behind me.

This is particularly important for pets that are black or white. If the lighting is too strong the camera can’t cope with these colours and there will be areas on the face that are black with no detail. The same with white pets, they will show bleached out.

Below are some handy examples of good and bad images. 

 

Bad composition & Lighting