Taking good reference photographs for your animal portrait
Generally speaking the better the photographs Joanne has to refer to, the better the resulting portrait will be! They ideally need to be high resolution and sharp, showing lots of detail. It’s particularly important that the eyes are shown clear. High resolution images mean Joanne is able to zoom in to see areas more closely.
Perhaps you already have a favourite photograph of your animal that you would like to be the basis of the portrait. If not, and if Joanne is unable to photograph your animal herself, here are some top tips to help you get good results -
It is usually a two person job! If possible it’s good to have a helper available. One person can take the photographs and the other can hold the animal and / or assist in getting them to have an alert expression. Rustling treat packets or shaking a bucket of feed is particularly good for horses and dogs!
Unless you would like an usual angle, it’s usually best to take the photographs at the animals eye level. This can mean crouching down to a smaller animal, or safely popping them on a chair or raised surface if possible. Photographs taken looking up or down at them will distort the proportions.
Natural daylight is usually best for showing a good coat colour. A light or slightly cloudy day is ideal, as very bright light can cast unusual shadows and hide features.
Don’t worry about imperfections / features showing in a photograph. Manes can be tidied, mud patches removed, headcollars / collars removed and horses’ ears pricked forward if they suddenly flick them back.
The more you can take the better!
I’m happy to use photographs that may show a more informal or unusual pose, they don’t have to be perfectly posed. More relaxed photos often reveal more character.
Some examples of good quality reference photographs are shown below -
What if my photographs aren’t great quality, and I can’t take any more?
It may not always be possible to take a set of new photographs for the portrait. It’s often the case when sadly a beloved animal has passed away, or if the photographs are very old print outs of poor quality. If you have any concerns or queries regarding your reference photographs, please do drop Joanne a line and she will be more than happy to advise. It may be possible to create a loose sketch style portrait, but Joanne will always offer honest advice to ensure you only receive a portrait that does your pet justice.