How to take the perfect photos for your pet portrait

The photos you upload are the single biggest factor in how much your portrait looks like you. The good news: the best photos are usually already on your phone. You're looking for clear, honest pictures — not glamorous ones.

The photo of you

• Face the camera, or nearly. A three-quarter angle is fine; a profile isn't.
• Natural daylight is your friend. Stand facing a window rather than with it behind you.
• Skip filters, beauty modes and heavy make-up apps — they change your features.
• Just you in the frame. If there are other people, crop them out first.
• Your face should fill a decent part of the picture. A selfie at arm's length is ideal.

A little tip — Glasses, freckles, a favourite jumper — if it's part of how people picture you, keep it in. The portrait can only include what it can see.

The photo of your pet

• Get down to their eye level. Photos taken from standing height squash their face.
• Make sure their full face is visible, with both eyes and their nose in focus.
• Show their markings. That white patch on the chest or one floppy ear is what makes them them.
• Use a treat or a squeaky toy just above your phone to get them looking at you.
• Take a burst of shots and pick the sharpest — pets rarely hold still.

Do the photos need to match?

No. They can be taken years apart, in different rooms, in different seasons. We place you both into the scene you choose, with matching light, so the finished portrait looks like a single moment.

What to avoid

• Screenshots, or photos saved from social media (they're often too small and blurry)
• Very dark photos taken in the evening without a lamp on
• Heavily zoomed-in shots, which lose detail
• Photos where your pet is mid-shake or mid-zoomie

When you upload, we check each photo in a couple of seconds and tell you straight away if we can't see a face clearly — so you can swap it before anything is made.