The Best Photo for a Pet Portrait (and How to Take One)

The best photo for a pet portrait is a sharp, close-up shot of one pet, in soft daylight, taken at their eye level, with the whole face visible and both eyes in focus. A normal phone photo is plenty. Sharpness and light matter far more than resolution. Below is what to look for, how to take a good one in five minutes, and how to handle tricky coats and small pets.

What makes a good portrait photo

• Light: soft, even daylight, such as near a window or outside on a cloudy day. No flash, and no strong light behind the pet.
• Focus: the eyes are sharp. If the eyes are soft, the portrait will be too.
• Angle: at the pet's eye level, not looking down from standing height. Get down on the floor.
• Framing: the pet fills most of the frame. Ears, chin and the top of the head are all in.
• One pet per photo: for two or more pets, use a separate photo of each.
• No heavy filters or beauty effects, which change coat colors and markings.

How to take one in five minutes

1. Pick the spot: near a window in daytime, with the light falling on your pet's face.
2. Get low: sit or kneel so your phone is at your pet's eye level.
3. Get their attention: a treat held just above the lens, a squeaky toy or a soft call of their name makes them look at the camera with their ears up.
4. Tap to focus on their eyes and take a burst of photos. Burst mode on most phones makes this easy.
5. Pick the sharpest one with both eyes open and visible.

Most people already have a great photo on their phone. Before taking new ones, scroll back through the last year and look for the light and focus described above.

Tricky cases

Dark or black coats

Bright, indirect daylight is essential. Avoid flash, which flattens black fur and causes glowing eyes. Tap your pet's face on screen so the phone exposes for the fur, not the background.

White or very light coats

Avoid direct midday sun, which burns out the detail in white fur. Open shade or a cloudy day is ideal.

Small pets (guinea pigs, rabbits, hamsters, birds)

Photograph them on the floor or a table at their level, on a plain blanket or towel. A favorite treat keeps them still for a moment. For birds, a perch near a window works well.

Pets who won't sit still

Use burst mode and plenty of light so the shutter is fast. Photograph them after exercise or a meal, when they're calmer.

A pet who has died

Use the clearest photo you have where their face is visible, even if it's old or imperfect. With a free preview you can try several photos and keep the one that looks most like them.

Photos to avoid

• The pet small in the frame, or far away
• Blurry or motion-blurred shots
• Strong backlight (a dark pet against a bright window)
• Heavy filters, stickers or text over the pet
• Group photos where pets overlap
• Screenshots of a screen, which lose detail

Try a photo before you decide

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