GUIDELINES FOR PHOTOGRAPHING YOUR PET

• Get on eye-level with the animal. For a big dog, this means kneeling down. For a small dog or a cat, you may have to either lie flat on the floor or place the animal up on a couch, bed, or chair.
• Fill the frame with your pet, not the background. This means getting about three feet away from your subject when you snap the picture.
• Aim for either head shots or whole body shots. Try not to cut off the tips of ears, tails, or toes.
• It’s sometimes helpful to have a helper so that one person can take the picture while the other can either restrain the animal and/or get its attention by whistling, calling, or waving treats or toys.
• Try to photograph your pet from all angles—front, back, both sides.
• Aim for contrast. A black Labrador doesn’t show up well on a dark couch. Neither does a white cat on a white bedspread.
• Don’t get discouraged if you pet refuses to cooperate. Some pets are real hams in front of the camera; others cringe or run. Take lots of pictures, especially if you have a digital camera. One or two are bound to turn out. Remember that I can leave details out of my drawing or combine details from one photo with another. If Rover strikes a great pose on his favorite ratty old blanket, I can always touch up the blanket, leave it out, or move Rover onto the Persian carpet.
• Finally, the more detailed and clear the photograph, the better the drawing will be.

Good luck!