🐾 Pet Portrait Photo Guide

How to Take the Best Photo for Your Charcoal Portrait

To draw a beautiful, detailed charcoal portrait of your pet, I need a clear, well-composed reference photo. This guide will help you take the kind of picture that results in a portrait you’ll truly love.

📷 1. Use Natural Light

Do: Take your photo near a window, or outside in soft daylight (morning or late afternoon).
Avoid: Flash, strong shadows, or backlighting.

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✔ Good natural light photo
✖ Poor lighting (shadowed/blurry)

🐶 2. Get on Eye Level

Take the photo at your pet’s eye level, not from above. This brings personality and realism to the portrait.

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✔ Eye-level photo
✖ Overhead photo

👀 3. Make Sure the Eyes Are in Focus

Eyes are the heart of any portrait. A blurry eye can make it hard for me to capture your pet’s true character.

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✔ Sharp focus on eyes
✖ Blurry or shadowed eyes

💡 4. Show Their Personality

Pick a photo that captures the real “them” — a natural pose or an expression they often make. Think of a look that makes you say, “That’s so them.”

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✔ Charming or expressive pose
✖ Forced or awkward angle

🐾 5. One Pet Per Photo (If Possible)

If you're commissioning a single portrait, your photo should focus on that one pet. For group portraits, I may still need clear individual shots of each pet.

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✔ One pet, full face
✖ Several pets, distant or hard to see clearly

📤 6. Send Original, High-Quality Files

• Please avoid filters, social media screenshots, or heavily cropped images.

• Send the original photo file directly from your camera or phone.

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✔ Original phone photo
✖ Screenshot of Instagram or Facebook post