Take photos at eye level with your pet. Photos looking down at, or up at your pet distorts the face and body.

Use outdoor or natural lighting whenever possible. This is especially necessary for action shots. Use good daylight or a flash, if indoors. If indoors, try to stand near a window with the window behind you. Let the light shine on the pet. Try taking the photo with a flash and without a flash to get the best results.

Use auto focus and, if your camera has it, succession shots where the camera takes one shot after another as long as you hold the button down.

It's okay If someone needs to hold your pet. With enough reference photos, I can paint the hands out.

If you want a full body shot, make sure the whole body is in the photo. No paws, tail or ears missing from the photo. I can reproduce what I see, not create what I don't see. Make sure you have sufficient space around the image. Remember to stay level with the pet. I can remove other people or objects in the photo.

Make sure you are close enough to the pet to ensure clarity. I need as much detail as possible. Enlarging the photo only blurs the subject. It does not necessarily offer a clearer picture. If you want a head shot only, fill the frame with the head and shoulders, making sure no ear tips are missing.

If you desire a custom background, include photos of your choice of settings. Take a separate shot of the background you want. I will put it together.

If your pet has dark fur, make sure the details are clear. A light area background helps. For a pet with light fur, a darker background is helpful. Keep the background simple, such as grass or a plain carpet.

Take at least four or five clear, in-focus photos. The more, the better. One of the photos must be a pose you wish to have as your painting. The other photos should show details of the pet such as markings, eye and fur color. Mailed photos show more accurate color than emailed photos.

To make sure you have clear photos, you can lie on your stomach and hold the camera with your elbows against the ground to steady the camera. Or you can rest your camera on a wall or solid flat area for clear photos. Some cameras have a setting to compensate for a shaky hand.

If your camera has a red eye reduction, use it, but it is not necessary as long as I have a photo showing the true eye color.

Showing your pet jumping or playing shows more character than a still shot, but is more difficult to achieve.