A simple guide to take a nice portrait photo
Photography can be tricky. Below I have put a few no-nonsense tips on how to get a nice portrait photo, suitable for painting reference. Let’s start with what not to do…
Bad dog!
I really did this dog no favors, sorry buddy.
Lens choice is a fish-eye. This can be great in photography, but will make a painting feel very unnatural and an obvious copy of a photo. Ideally photos are taken in a more natural/lifelike lens mode. (If using a camera, the human eye is roughly similar to a 55mm lens). If using a phone, the portrait mode is probably fine.
Go easy on background blur as it can lose all details in the fur edges.
Color grading. This photo has had a lot of adjustments made to their color. No filters or adjustments please. Just snap it and send it!
Resolution. Please take your snaps as high resolution as possible. No images pulled of social media. If you have RAW files, send them over!
Good dog!
Ok this snap is clearly lovely, and here is why:
‘Paint me like one of your French bulldogs’ - the dog, probably.
Natural soft lighting. Harsh shadows and strong light (like direct sunshine) add too much contrast. Find ambient and soft light scenarios, preferably in nature. think of a bright but overcast day.
Natural lens. Notice how there is no distortion from the camera lens, it looks like a dog as if seen in real life, no fish-eyes etc.
Composition. Try a simple background, no signs/text or high contrast details. Bonus points for being at the dogs eye-level, this gives us a more connected feeling to your pet.
Dog size. We only see the top half of the dog, this is perfect, especially for the sizes I’m offering.
No visible light sources. Keep any light sources out of picture, no headlights, tv’s, lamps, sun/moon etc. Light sources are distracting and can flatten the overall look.
High resolution. Lots of detail in this photo, easy win.
No accessories. Things like collars and bulky harnesses can distract or add unwanted extra colors into a photo. If you do keep these in, make sure it’s by choice and you are happy to have them in the painting.
remember, it’s your painting, send me whatever photo you adore & I will do my absolute best with it.
Ok that is it! Thank you for taking the time to get through all this material. If all of this sounds good, please fill out the form below and I will be in touch!