Portrait Tips21 September 20264 min read
What Makes A Good Portrait Photograph (From The Studio That Paints From Them)
One clear, well-lit photograph is the difference between a portrait and a guessing game.
Every portrait we paint begins with a single photograph, so the quality of that photograph quietly decides the quality of everything after it. Here is what our studio actually looks for.
The non-negotiables
- Sharp eyes. The eyes carry the whole portrait; if they are crisp, almost everything else can be forgiven.
- Daylight. Window light or overcast outdoors. Flash flattens fur and turns eyes into small lanterns of regret.
- Head and shoulders filling the frame. A portrait is a face, not a floor plan of your kitchen.
- His real colouring, true to life. Filters are for sunsets, not sitters.
What we would rather you avoided
- Photos taken from directly above — charming in the moment, unflattering in oils.
- Heavy shadow across the face, which hides the markings that make him him.
- Action shots. Mid-leap is a magnificent memory and a difficult portrait.
- Screenshots of screenshots. Send the original file; compression eats whiskers.
If you have one photograph where the eyes are sharp and the light is kind, you have enough. Upload it, and his lordship's sitting can begin.