For all of my animal portraits I work from photos for reference. I will ask you to send me a selection so I can choose which would work best for a portrait.
One photo will be my main reference that I will use for pose, positioning and lighting. I may use additional photos to get a better view of any markings....but I cannot create a new pose from combining a mixture of photos so please keep this in mind when selecting photos to send over for reference. I love portraits that capture your pets personality- so a cute expression or unusual angle can make for a really unique portrait.
Here's some important things to think about when choosing your reference photos in order for you to get the best portrait;
Take your pet outside - and if you can't take them outside, get them by a window. Good soft natural lighting is essential for a reference photo - think no harsh shadows, but lots of light to show the details in their fur and eyes. A good way to assess a photo is to zoom in to the eyes - can you see a reflection? Can you see the colour in their eyes? If not, the photo is probably too dark.
Get closer to your pet - don't take your photo from too far away, your pet should be large in the frame of the picture so that detail is captured. The more detail I can see when I zoom in - the better your portrait. Do not send photos that have been cropped from the original - you won't be able to see any detail, and will likely be too blurred to use as a reference.
Quality - make sure your photo is in focus and taken with a quality camera. Most modern phone cameras are absolutely fine for quality images. *Tip! Give your phone camera lens a clean - it will make a big difference!*
Send the original of the photo if you have it - again, you lose lots of detail if images are screenshots or downloaded from WhatsApp /social media etc.
~ memorial portraits ~
Please don't worry about not meeting the above criteria - but do send plenty of photos for me to work from. Hard copies of photos should be scanned if possible (or we can arrange for you to send hard copies to me and I will return along with your finished portrait)