Tips for Photographing Your Pet

When I do pet portraits I work from photographs, often taken by the pet owner. For my own dog’s portraits, I’ve gone through the struggles of getting good photos. To get the best possible references, I’ve created hints for photographing pets, and many of my pet-loving friends use these tips to get good photos of their dogs and cats, not necessarily for me to paint from, but for their own enjoyment. So here are my tips:
– Take photos of pets outdoors without a flash to avoid the big “red eye” effect; an overcast day is better than bright sunshine or dark shadows.
– If indoors is necessary, try to position the pet near a window of bright light and take the shots without a flash.
– Watch out for too much lighting contrast, which can “blow out” the whites and make all the darks very black. When I paint an all-white dog or an all black dog, it’s the subtle highlights and subtle shading which make the difference.
– It is also best to get at eye-level with the dog, not standing above looking down at his/her face… makes for a much more personal view. You might have to lie belly-down on the ground, but it will be worth it!
– Take loads of photos, since pets don’t always give their full attention! You can try several angles, too: side, 3/4 view, head-on, tilted head.
Hope this helps! Shown are my portraits of a white-faced dog “Tom” and a black dog “Davis” (I titled this painting “Single Malt” after his Scottish ancestry). It was a surprise to me how many pale pastel colors I had to use to paint Tom’s face and make it look 3-dimensional and realistic.