Photography tips

Colored pencil and pastel drawings of animals: Dogs, Cats, Horses & Others.

Photographs : Since I don't have the luxury of seeing your pet in person or having it sit for an actual portrait sitting, I largely work from photographs that you submit to me. I prefer photographs with lots of light that showcases your pet's coloring and unique traits.

Please make sure these photographs are clear, in focus, and show the detail of your pet's face, body and coloration. If it is hard for you to see clearly what your pet's coat looks like, then imagine how difficult it would be for me to try and discern subtle details without having met your pet in person. If possible, please include several close-up shots of your pet's head and face.

Try to select photos that positively accentuate your pet's personality and character. I can only create the portrait from what you supply to me in the form of photographs.  These can be e-mailed to me digitally, or sent by regular mail. Normal sized snapshots are perfectly acceptable.

When taking photographs of your pet, try to fill the frame with just your pet. If your pet is running through the yard with trees and grass all around, and from a distance, it is harder for me to discern your pet's finer features.

As mentioned above, always concentrate several snapshots of just the face at different angles, and from the level of your pet. If you stand above the animal, the resulting portrait will mirror those type of shots: above looking down. If this is the type of portrait you want, then by all means photograph the animal in this way.

It is recommended, however, that you try to take the photograph at the same level of your pet to get the most realistic and natural shot.  Also, just like with small children, have someone else distract the animal to look behind you, or to the side to get a nice profile shot.

Natural lighting is preferred as it compliments the pet's coloring and special features without washing out the color and detail. Sometimes flash photography changes the coloring of the pet's coat and often gives the pet "red eye." My portraits are unique in that the expression of the eyes is what makes your pet portrait unmistakably your pet--i.e. it's your poodle, not just any poodle.

Taking the necessary time to get good, clear photographs will ultimately make your portrait more realistic and all the more endearing.