We want to be able to create for you the very best custom portrait of your loved family pet. Since we won’t have your pet in the studio to paint from directly, we have to rely on your digital photographs. To help us achieve the best quality here are some advice tips on selecting suitable photos from your collection or taking some new ones.
Good suitable photos of your pet usually …
- Are taken with good natural lighting and with contrast across the body with areas of the face and body in some shadow
- Is a clear in-focus, high resolution, head shot with eyes visible taken at their eye level
- Is posed with the head slightly to one side
Some important things to avoid …
- Taking photos in strong sunlight where details are lost, colours bleached out, and shadows too dark
- Taking photos with a flashlight or in unnatural light, e.g., some indoor LED lighting is unsuitable
- Dark, blurry, low resolution photos
- Photos taken from above (not a hard rule if the subject is looking at the camera)
- Too small an image
- Image distortion because the camera lens is too close (not a hard rule as some distortion can be cutely humerous)
- Missing important features, e.g., an ear
Of course, many great photos exist that may not follow these ’rules’. For example, a closeup photograph of a dog taken from above with a smart phone can create a cute image where the dog’s nose is somewhat enlarged and distorted. The main advice is to ensure the image is clear and not blurry, and everything you want in the portrait is present.
If you want to confirm images are suitable for a custom portrait, please send them by email to advice@harwellstudio.co.uk and tell us what you would like us to do and we’ll get back to you with our advice.