Photo Guide

As the photograph I work from makes a significant difference to the quality of your portrait, I thought I'd make a guide to help you all out by showing you examples of good and bad photographs.

I understand that it is not always possible to get new photographs for pets that are no longer with us or for surprise gifts, and on these occasions I will do my best to work with the photographs you have, but a good photograph makes it a lot easier for me to convey your pet accurately.
If you are still unsure whether your picture is good enough, please don't hesitate to send me an email at petportraitsbyeilidh@outlook.com!

There are many elements that make this a great photograph for a portrait, such as:

  • Large file size
  • In focus
  • Taken outdoors
  • True to life colouration
  • Taken at the dog's height
  • Open mouth provides more character
  • Bright eyes

    • This isn't such a great photograph for a portrait as it is:

  • Blurry
  • Not taken from the dog's height
  • Eyes are closed
  • Fur is not settled due to the dog moving
    • The posing of this photograph is nice, but as almost the whole face is in darkness it is not suitable for a portrait. This could be rectified by taking the photograph outside on a slightly cloudy day (to avoid lots of contrast from the sun). Using flash is not a good idea as it can create unnatural highlights and shadows and often makes the eyes very bright.
    This is a good, and very original pose for a pet portrait. It was taken lying on the ground so to be at the dog's height, and shows lots of detail.