If you live in the Seattle area, I would prefer to do a “photo shoot” of your pet myself. Of course, if you are out of my area, I will rely on you to provide me with the photos I require. Below are instructions outlining what I will need from you. Because your pet will not be able to sit for me, I must rely on the photographs you provide. My paintings are not duplicates of photographs. I can create the setting, background or atmosphere that you feel will be most appropriate for your pet. In order to capture the uniqueness of your pet, I will need good, clear photographs. You must decide the kind of portrait you want: full-body (sitting or standing), “chest-up”, or profile.
Photographs:
I will need at least 8 to 10 good photos of your pet, with clear close-ups of the face, and several good photos of the pet in the pose you want for the portrait. You can email the photos to my website.
Take the photos at the eye level of your pet. (Avoid shots that look down at him/her). For the best photos, avoid having your pet look directly into the camera lens. As with photographing children, it helps to have another person behind the photographer waving or snapping fingers to capture the attention and focusing the eyes of the subject.
Observe your pet and photograph him/her in a pose that is typical, or one that expresses the personality of the animal. For small dogs and cats, I have found that posing them on the edge of the arm of a chair or sofa – overlooking the side — make for great shots.
The color quality of the photographs is very important. If your pet is lighter in color, it would help to have a photo with a darker background, and conversely, if the animal is dark, a lighter background would be helpful. Example – a photo of a gorgeous black cocker spaniel in a dark room will not be helpful to me, or enhancing to your pet.
If your pet has a favorite toy, you might consider photographing him/her with the toy. It makes for very endearing paintings.
Price – $2.00 per square inch of canvas or canvas paper.