Guide To Taking Photographs Of Your Pet
I welcome portraits from everyone, it doesn't matter where you live and I have even posted my paintings to Australia. I can work from photographs that have been provided by yourself, but they MUST be of good quality and show your pet clearly. Please follow the list of points below to get the best results:
Please view my Commissions Gallery for portraits I have painted.
I welcome portraits from everyone, it doesn't matter where you live and I have even posted my paintings to Australia. I can work from photographs that have been provided by yourself, but they MUST be of good quality and show your pet clearly. Please follow the list of points below to get the best results:
- clear, natural daylight is the best light condition for a photograph, so take pictures of your pet outdoors - bright sun is not always the best as it may glare off of the animal's coat, cause the animal to squint and also create dark shadows
- try to fill the frame of your viewfinder with your subject, but also try not to crop anything off like noses or ears - a far away view always has to be enlarged and this will give a low resolution for detail - the larger the subject in the frame, the better for creating a likeness
- the best poses for portraits are three-quarter profiles which gives a more three dimensional portrait - in this pose it is possible to see both of the subject's eyes and the shape of his or her head - having the subject not looking directly into the camera appears more natural and avoids 'red-eye' and the 'staring eye' effect seen on many human gallery portraits
- digital photos are the preferred medium to work from as they can be emailed to me free of charge - I can enlarge these on my computer to view fine detail and markings - traditional photo prints would be great for me to work from if they are no smaller than 6 x 4 inches - too small and I would not be able to see the detail of your pet - these can be posted to me and I can send them back to you with the completed portrait
Please view my Commissions Gallery for portraits I have painted.
This photo of a lovely visla dog is a good example of an ideal reference photo. The head is in focus, all of the features are in the shot, there are no dark shadows over the animal and it was taken in a good light. The animal is relaxed and happy, showing its personality.
The photo of the piebald horse is another good example of a reference photo with the animal in it's natural environment. |
Copyright Helen Purrington 2016
No images maybe reproduced without permission
No images maybe reproduced without permission