Can I use a photograph I already have for my pet portrait?
Maybe your pet has passed and you’d like to memorialise them, making a photoshoot impossible. Or perhaps you don’t live in Wellington but would still love to have a portrait created.
So what can be done?
It is possible to use a photograph you already have. While it’s always our strong preference to take the photos ourselves (so we can be sure the images will translate beautifully into a painted portrait) we understand that this isn’t always possible. We certainly wouldn’t want you to miss out if another approach can work.
The first step is simply making sure the photograph you have in mind will work well as reference material.
Why we generally prefer to take our own pictures
Before I had ever used a camera, I was a portrait artist (yes, the art came before the photography!).
When I (Norah) was about fifteen years old, I was asked to paint a portrait for the mother of another student at my school. She handed me an envelope filled with photographs and a lot of excited anticipation about how the portrait would turn out.
Unfortunately, the portrait never came to be.
Inside the envelope was a passport photo. Very small, evenly lit, and completely flat. The lighting removed all tonal variation from the face, making the features difficult to interpret, and the expression itself looked awkward.
I tried several times to make the portrait work, going through a whole stack of canvases in the process. Each attempt failed.
At the time, I believed that if I was truly a good artist, I should be able to create a masterpiece no matter what material I was given to work from. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t make it work.
I felt like an utter failure and that I had let everyone down, including myself.
For many years afterwards, I didn’t take on portrait commissions again.
It wasn’t until much later, after working in different businesses and seeing how different professionals structure their work, that I realised something important: as the artist, I get to define the process that leads to the best result.
If I wanted to create beautiful portraits consistently, I needed to start with the right reference material.
While I can provide a list of photo requirements for clients to follow (I’ll get to this part soon I promise), most photographs people already have weren’t created with portrait painting in mind. It’s usually far simpler, and produces a much stronger final artwork when we take the photographs ourselves.
There are a few reasons for this:
First, it’s difficult to understand an animal’s true personality from a single photo. When we photograph your pet ourselves, we get to meet them and can capture a range of expressions and choose the one that best reflects who they are.
Second, a single photo can sometimes distort features. Depending on the lighting or lens used, noses can appear shorter, cheeks less rounded, or proportions slightly off. Seeing your pet in person and having a series of reference photos makes it much easier to capture an accurate likeness.
Additionally, a strong reference image for portrait artwork relies on good contrasted light which we can easily achieve with all the lights we can bring.
And finally, photographing your pet ourselves allows us to design a composition that will translate beautifully into the finished artwork.
That said, we completely understand that sometimes taking new photographs isn’t possible.
When using your own photo is the best option
If your pet has passed, or if you live outside Wellington, we’re very happy to work from photographs you already have, provided they meet a few important guidelines.
Even better than a single image is a small collection of photos, which helps us better understand your pet’s appearance and personality.
Photo guidelines for pet portraits
The original digital photo
We’ll need the original digital file rather than a copy of a printed physical photograph.
Copies of printed photos are usually too small and lack the detail needed to create a high-quality portrait.
The image must also be clear, sharp, and in focus so we can accurately see the details of your pet.
Strong, high-contrast lighting
Good portraits rely on a range of light and dark tones.
If the lighting is too flat, the features can look indistinct. But if the shadows are too dark, important details can disappear.
Ideally, the photo should show a good balance of light and shadow while still retaining visible detail in both the highlights and the darker areas.
Avoid harsh sun shadows
Direct sunlight can create very sharp shadows across your pet’s face or body. While these shadows can look fine in a photograph with an outdoor background, they can be harder to translate naturally into a portrait.
Photos taken indoors near a window, or outdoors on an overcast day, often produce the most flattering results.
A clear view of the eyes
The eyes are one of the most important parts of a portrait.
They carry so much expression and personality, so it’s important that they’re clearly visible in the image.
It’s even better if there’s a small catchlight (a reflection of light) in the eyes, as this helps bring them to life in the finished artwork.
Make sure your whole pet is visible
If you’d like a head-and-shoulders portrait, the full head and neck should be visible in the photo; not cut off at the edge of the frame.
If you’re hoping for a full-body portrait, we’ll need to clearly see the entire body, with no limbs hidden behind objects such as grass, furniture, or branches.
A photo that conveys their personality
Perhaps the most important factor of all is choosing a photo that captures your pet’s personality.
You might have dozens of photos of your pet, but is there one where their expression really feels like them?
A relaxed look, a curious tilt of the head, or that familiar spark in their eyes can make all the difference in creating a portrait that truly feels alive.
A final note
If you’re unsure whether your photo will work, you’re always welcome to send it through for a quick assessment. We’re happy to let you know if it’s suitable, or suggest alternatives.
And if you’re still exploring the process of commissioning a portrait, you can also learn more about how everything works on our Wellington pet portraits page, where we walk through the different styles, options, and the overall process of creating a portrait of your pet.