Hints and Tips


Tips for pet portraits

• Use their toys or treats to help get their attention for photographs - another person standing behind you can be helpful for this.

• To get a pets attention make weird noises, the higher the pitch, the better

• Get your dog used to the camera. Snap the shutter so the dog gets used to the sound

• Get on the same level as the pet. The best shots are either looking straight on or up at an angle

• If you are photographing multiple animals for a single portrait, try to get a
few good individual pictures of each one - these can then be used to create a
single finished portrait of them

• It’s O.K. for someone to hold the animal as the hands can be painted out.

• Try to avoid using a flash since it can cause red eyes and alter the animal's
true coloring

• Take close-up shots of your pet's face, body, feet, tail, etc.(side and front view) along with the pose you'd like to show detail, special markings and true eye and fur color. Don't be afraid to move to your camera's minimum focus distance

• if you have given your dog a bath to groom him for the photo session, try adding a doggy conditioner. It alleviates tangles.



Tips for childrens portraits

• use their toys or treats to help get their attention for photographs - another person standing behind you can be helpful for this.

• A canister of soap mix and a bubble blowing ring often produces amazing expressions

• Show them busily engaged in something that they like doing, and that is really characteristic of them

• To get a child’s attention make weird noises, the higher the pitch, the better

• Get your child used to the camera. Snap the shutter so the child gets used to the sound

• In selecting clothing for your child, simple is always best. A child is small and too much fluff or design will certainly detract from the beauty of your child. This applies to colour as well. On a 3-4 month old, check to see how the clothing looks with the child on his or her back. For a 6-12 month old, check both sitting and standing

• A mother’s voice is very soothing and comforting to an infant. It can also be very disturbing if the child hears mum’s voice while not in her arms

• Get on the same level as the child. The best shots are either looking straight on or up at an angle

• For babies and toddlers: if you can only find nappies with a design put them on backwards. This will not show up in the photo


• Remember to remove any dummies well before any photo session. Many children use them as “tongue toys”, and once the dummy is removed, the tongue is still active. This makes it difficult, if not impossible, to get a natural smile from the child. Also it can leave a red ring around the child’s mouth, which can be seen in the photo

• Check the bottom of your child’s shoes. Many times they will show in a photo, and some shoe manufacturers put bright colours or cartoons characters on the soles. Of course, bare feet make great timeless portraits

• Never ask a child to say silly words such as 'cheese'. These result in fake and forced expressions


Tips for womens portraits.

• Colors have emotional impact. "I have the blues!" is an example. Let a color dominate that best expresses what you are seeking to communicate
• Light colours work best on fair complexion
• Darker colours work better with dark complexions
• To create eyes that 'follow you around the room', photo the subject looking directly into the camera
• Consider whether to include objects that represent important events or give an indication of what is valuable to the subject.
• When considering the pose, ask what it is that this woman would like to send out into the world.
• If your subject is looking self-conscious, ask her to look away for a moment before looking back at the camera. This often produces a natural smile.
• Arrange for your subject to lean towards you. This often produces a more lively result. It's also usually more flattering to look up at people from slightly below.

Tips for handling portraits.

• Inexpensive cotton gloves (the kind you can get at the supermarket or a photography store) with the fingertips cut out are just the thing for keeping portraits clean and free of fingerprints

• Keep old picture mats or make some out of pastel paper in your favourite dimensions, ready to place over your work to get a preview of how it will look in a frame.

• Keep a mini photo-album of your work and some business cards (even if they are only computer printed at home). That way you're ready for the opportunity when you bump into a potential client at a party or perhaps while walking the dog.



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