How to Get a Great Reference Photo of Your Pet

Most portrait problems start before the artist ever opens a brush. A blurry phone shot taken in a dim hallway will produce a painting that looks like a smudge with ears. The photo is the blueprint. If it is vague, the painting will be too.

You do not need a professional camera. A modern phone in decent light is fine. What you do need is to pay attention to a few things that most people ignore.

Shoot at eye level

Stand above your dog and shoot down, and you will get a painting of the top of their head. Get down on the floor. Get the camera at their level, or even slightly below. Eye contact with the subject is what makes a portrait feel like a portrait rather than a snapshot.

Natural light is the only light that works

Flash washes out detail and creates harsh shadows across the face. Overhead indoor lighting does the same. Take your pet near a window or outside on an overcast day. Overcast is actually better than direct sun because it eliminates hard shadows under the nose and chin.

Early morning or late afternoon outdoors gives you the warmest, most flattering light. Midday sun is too harsh and creates unflattering shadows in the same spots flash does.

Sharp eyes are non-negotiable

Artists paint what they see. If the eyes in the reference photo are blurry, the painted eyes will be too, and a portrait with flat eyes looks lifeless. If your pet will not stay still, take a burst of 20 shots and pick the one where the eyes are sharpest. Everything else can be worked around. The eyes cannot.

Avoid wide-angle lenses

The front camera and ultra-wide lenses distort proportions, which stretches or squishes the face. Use the 1x or 2x lens on your phone, not the 0.5x. If your pet has a long snout, wide angle will exaggerate it significantly.

One clear background, or none at all

A busy background with furniture, other pets, or people in the frame makes it harder for the artist to isolate your pet cleanly. A plain wall, grass, or a simple outdoor background is ideal. The subject should be the only thing competing for attention in the frame.

Once you have a photo that passes all five of these, you are set. Send us your best two or three options and our team will confirm which one will paint the best before we start.