Pet Artist Photography Guide. Find easy to follow instructions of how to take the perfect shot for your pet portrait. The images will also serve as a guide as to whether or not that favourite image you have tucked away is suitable. In general terms, the clearer and more detailed your reference image is, the better your portrait will be as I will be able to see fine detail and can then produce a highly accurate pet portrait for you to treasure. Please browse through the images below, they will give you an idea of what would make a good reference image for a pet artist and what would not. These are my own photos and as you can see not all of my attempts are successful, in fact far from it. For the perfect shot all you need is a little know how, some patience and lots of bribes, sometimes a second pair of hands is useful for distraction too! Image Size  Fill your view finder with your subject, this ensures eye details, fur direction and the character are correctly portrayed especially for animal pet portraits. Please do not send an image of your dog sat in front of your house, if you can fit your house in the background you are too far away, the subject should be the main focus of your photography, not the background, remember I produce pencil portraits from photos NOT from my imagination.   Lighting  Try to take your photograph in good light, it is easier to take a photograph in daylight, this produces an image in true colours rather than them being highlighted by a flash, it also prevents red-eye occuring.   Positioning and Movement  It is wise to be at eye level with the subject, this will result in the image being in proportion. Do not stand above your dog or child, this will result in an odd perspective and a distorted angle. If you cannot reach floor level, move your dog up, sit him on a chair if this is easier. Try not to take an action shot for any animal pet portraits, your subject should ideally be sat or standing in the position you would like the portrait to be drawn. A running dog would be very difficult to produce as a portrait as there would be little definition and could be quite blurry.  All Part of the Service If all else fails and you find it difficult to take the shot you need, I can take photographs for you. You will need to travel to the Ross-on-Wye/Forest of Dean area at a pre-arranged time and date and I will happily take shots for you at no extra charge. This is most helpful to me as well as I can see the colours and understand the character of a subject. Visit the galleries to see previous commissions of animal pet portraits and pencil portraits from photos to get an idea of what can be achieved and the poses of animals used.

the image is blurred	the dog's eyes are partly shut due to sunshine, it is best to take the photo in the early morning or early evening when the sun is not so bright
this was taken at an awkward angle, it is best to be on eye level with your subject rather than looking down to prevent distortion	the dog is in too much shade preventiing fine details from being seen as the sun is behind the dog, it is best to have the slightly to the side of the dog
the dog is not looking at the camera so not all of the face is visible resulting in a poor portrait	again the dog is not looking at the camera, not a good pose plus the ears are down so the dog is a little stressed and not relaxed
the eye is partly closed and one ear is not visible, this is a clear image but does not show the horse at it's best	again not the best composure and would not be the clearest image to use as the eyes are not visible
the angle is very odd on this image	the sun is too bright on the muzzle which hides most of the detail
a good clear image showing eyes and fur detail, this could be used for just a head and shoulders or full body portrait	the face details are clear on this image and taken in good clear conditions
this dog is camera shy but forgot all about it when a treat was held next to the camera	as this is a small dog, it was helpful to put her on a picnic bench to be at eye level
this is a good pose, the eye detail is visible and the colour of the fur are clear.	although the dog is looking slightly to the side, the eyes are clear and the  sun was not too bright so this would be a suitable image

See more portrait art to see how it is created step by step by visiting my blog Read how to make pet portraits and wildlife art commissions Find out prices, sizes and mediums available for wildlife art and pet paintings Buy a gift certificate for pet portraits and wildlife paintings