1. Both photos have good lighting and clarity. This is a good face but an awkward body.		2. This one shows the body to good advantage.
3. I combined the best of them for this portrait.

I need a good photograph to work from. If you have pictures of your dog, make sure they are sharp and clear enough to see the details of the fur. Send the best ones to me, and we’re on our way! For a memorial portrait, send me what you have and I’ll work with it even if it’s not perfect.

If you want to take new photos for me, these simple steps ensure success:

1. Use natural light, not a flash.
2. Use even lighting, indoors or out. Overcast days are ideal. On sunny days, choose a bright, shaded spot. Avoid strong shadows or dappled sun.
3. Have a helper hold and position your dog while you shoot. Don’t worry if the helper is in the shot.
4. Get down to your subject’s eye level, or raise the dog up, as on a chair.
5. Have the dog sit. (Dog school pays off!)
6. Get in close, but frame the whole animal.
7. Engage the dog – call her name, offer a treat, talk to her.
8. Take several shots. I can combine the best parts of them, as you see here.

Go to the contact page for details on how to send your pictures.

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