Every great pet portrait starts with a good photograph. You do not need a professional camera. A modern phone and five minutes of patience will give our artists everything they need to capture your pet's character.
1. Use soft, natural daylight
Natural light shows the true colour of your pet's coat and eyes. Stand near a window or step outside on a bright, overcast day. Avoid harsh midday sun, which creates deep shadows, and avoid flash, which can turn eyes glassy or red.
2. Get down to your pet's eye level
Photos taken from above make pets look small and distort their face. Kneel or sit so your phone is level with their eyes. This is how classic portrait painters posed their subjects, and it gives the finished portrait a dignified, regal feel.
3. Fill the frame with their face
We need detail in the eyes, nose, ears and markings. Move close enough that your pet's head and shoulders fill most of the photo. If you zoom, use your phone's built-in 2x lens rather than pinching to zoom, which lowers quality.
4. Keep the face in sharp focus
Tap your pet's eyes on the screen to focus before you take the photo. Take several shots in a row and choose the sharpest one. A treat held just above the phone helps keep their attention.
5. Show their markings clearly
Unique markings are what make the portrait unmistakably your pet: a patch over one eye, a white blaze, a freckled nose. Make sure these are visible and not hidden by a collar, blanket or shadow.
6. Skip the filters
Send the original photo, not one with beauty filters or heavy editing. Filters change fur colour and smooth away detail our artists need.
Photos we can work with
- Clear, in-focus face
- Taken in daylight
- Eye-level angle
- Ears and markings visible
Photos that are harder to use
- Blurry or dark images
- Your pet small in the distance
- Face turned away or hidden
- Screenshots of social media posts, which are low resolution
Do you only have an old photo?
If you are creating a memorial portrait, you may not be able to take a new picture. Send the clearest photo you have. Our artists will tell you honestly whether it will work, and we always send a free preview before anything is printed.
Ready to begin? Commission your pet's royal portrait and simply reply to your order email with your photo.
