If you are about to take some photos the following advice may be of some help.
The quality of the photo you provide can greatly influence how good the finished portrait will be. If I cant see enough detail in the photo it can make it difficult to recreate the subjects' character and personality. The photo must be in focus (especially the eyes as they are 'the windows to the soul') and a reasonable size.
If you already have some photos and you are unsure if they are suitable, or if you have any questions at all please feel free to contact me. Please note the following advice describes the ideal photo but dont worry too much if your photo doesnt exactly match this ideal. I have completed some beautiful portraits from some less than perfect photos.

Composing the photo

1. Looking down on the subject can produce a very unflattering pose. Try getting down to the subjects eye level.
   
2. Get the subject to fill the frame of the photo by moving closer to the subject or zooming in with your camera. This helps to ensure that I can see as much detail as possible and produce a better portrait.
   If you are thinking of having a full body study of a pet keep an eye on the position of the animals tail as it can take up a lot of room in the portrait thus reducing the overall size of the animal.
   
3. Unless you would like a specific background in your portrait try to place the subject against a plain background such as a wall, hedge etc. Also try to use a contasting background, e.g. a light background for a dark subject and a dark background for a light subject. This helps to ensure that none of the details of the subject (hair/fur, shape etc.) are lost from merging into the background.
   Another way to neutralise the background is to use the portrait setting on your camera which will have the effect of slightly blurring the background. This effect can also be achieved by standing further back from the subject and zooming in with your camera.

Lighting the photo

1. Natural sunlight is the best way to light your photo as it will reveal the true tones and subtle shades of colour present in the subjects eyes, skin/fur etc. Man made light will bleach out these subtle tones and shades and will generally give the subject a slightly blue or orange tone. The worst kind of light is the flash on your camera and should be avoided if at all possible as it will cause a flat, washed out look and the dreaded red-eye.
2. Very bright sunlight can have a similar effect to man made light bleaching out colours, it can also make the subject squint. If it is a very sunny day try taking the photo earlier or later in the day or wait until the sky clouds over a little.
3. The direction of light is also important. Try to get the subject facing the light source, lighting the subject from behind can hide the finer details of the subject and can a cause a 'halo' effect.
4. If you would like a multiple subject portrait I can combine seperate photos of the subjects into the same portrait but if possible try to ensure the light is from the same direction on each subject.

Copyright 2006 Chris Jones - All rights reserved