pet portrait artist tracy hall - Photo tips for realistic paintings of dogs, cats horses.

Photographs of your Pet

When painting your pet portrait I work from photographs which you have sent to me, or which I have taken. You can send as many photos as you like - the more the merrier! The better the photos you can supply, the better the final portrait is likely to be. I do not necessarily work directly from one photo as a straight copy - unless that is what you want. I may work from several of your photos, taking something from each one, to come up with the final drawing I will let you see for approval. They can be sent by post as prints or on a cd, or you can email them to me at a high resolution. All photos are treated with great care while they are with me and returned to you when the portrait is complete. You may like to have copies made of any particularly precious pictures before you post the originals just in case they should go astray en route. Please included at least one printed for colour matching which will need to be sent by regular mail.

Selecting your Photos

When selecting your photos of your pet A clear close up of your pet's head is especially important, showing the eyes in natural light with another showing the full body if you are having a full body portrait. If you are unsure which photos would work best, just send them all and I will help you choose! If you are ordering a pet portrait as a surprise gift and it is proving awkward to magic the photos away without being found out, you might like to consider a Gift Certificate instead.

Tips for taking suitable photos of your Pet

If you are able to take some pictures especially for your portrait, please remember that you are not trying to take a prize-winning photo but a series of pictures for me to use as reference, so they don't have to be perfect and there is no need to worry about what is happening in the background. If you are able to send a lot of pictures I quite often work from several which I combine in the final painting. If you are having more than one pet in the portrait it is very helpful to see at least one photo with them together so I can get their relative sizes accurate.

This is an example of a clear photo for a pet portrait (and thanks to young Charlie for being such a patient model!) I can see all the details well and the subdued natural lighting has not cast strong shadows or affected the colouring (this picture has been reduced for this webpage, but try to leave your digital images at full size when you send them). If you can avoid strong sunlight or heavy shadows it is helpful.

You may find that it is helpful to have other people around to assist - someone behind you with a toy or treat often works well for a dog for example (see above!).
Food is a great bribe, and just before being fed is often a good time to get a very alert picture of cats and dogs.
If you are taking photos of your horse, try not to stand too close but use your zoom instead as this helps eliminate weird perspective!
Pictures taken at eye level work well - which depending on the size of your pet can mean lying on the ground or standing on a ladder!
Patience is vital, and the more pictures you can take the more chance of getting exactly what you want.
Of course you don't have to be restricted by more traditional poses - sometimes an unusual pose will capture your pet's personality and appeal to you more.
Try if you can to take your pictures outside as the colours are often better represented, especially if it is not very bright sunlight.

Working from Older Photos

It may be that your pet is no longer with you, in which case I will do my best to create a lasting tribute from whatever photos you have. It is especially helpful if you can tell me a little about your pet as well. I have worked from passport-sized photos with a magnifying glass in the past, which while not ideal (and tough on my eyes!) does illustrate that anything is possible.

If you have any questions or would like further help in selecting or taking your photos please get in touch.

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