Tips on choosing the best photographs for your portrait...
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Be sure everything you want in the portrait is pictured in the photo. This includes the pet's feet. I can't make them up!
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Be sure the photos are sharp, not blurry.
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Be sure there are no unusual shadows (like from trees) on your pet(s), unless you want them in the painting.
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Angle
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Generally, it is better to take photos at the pet's eye level, not standing above them.
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But sometimes a pose is accentuated by a photo taken from above.
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Be careful about holding the camera too close to the animal because it will distort the proportions of the animal (such as making the snout appear larger), though it does sometimes make for an interesting photo.
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Lighting and Color
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Be sure the lighting is good enough to show detail and the correct colors of the pet's coat, eyes, and nose. Be very careful about using a flash because they tend to wash out color and create harsh shadows.
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Pose and Personality
One of the most important things is to choose a pose that depicts the personality you want represented in your pet's portrait. The "pose" includes the expression on your dog's face.
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If you want the portrait to have a regal feeling, you might choose a traditional pose such as this:
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If your pet is a ball of energy, you might coax him/her into an action pose like this:
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Other Pets and Toys
If you want your pet's portrait to include another animal or a favorite toy, I will need photos of all the subjects (dogs, toys, etc.) together so I can see what size they are in proportion to one another. They do not need to be in their "final" portrait pose in these photos.
