You've decided you want to turn a memory into a painting.
Amazing.
Now comes the surprisingly difficult part:
Which photo do you choose?
If you're anything like the sentimental people I love creating artwork for, you probably don't have one photograph.
You have 47.
There's the picture where your dog looks absolutely perfect, but the background is terrible.
The family photo where everyone looks great except one person.
The wedding photograph you adore, but there's something in the background you'd rather not have hanging on your wall forever.
And then there's that slightly imperfect photo that, for some reason, makes you feel something every single time you see it.
So here's my answer as an artist:
The best reference photo for a custom painting is both meaningful to you and clear enough for me to understand the subject I'm painting.
But those two things don't always exist in the same photograph.
And that's okay.
That's where being a painter gets fun.
First: Choose the Photo That Means Something to You
Before we talk about lighting, resolution, angles, or anything technical, I want you to ask yourself:
Which photograph do I actually care about?
Because we're not trying to find the most technically perfect image sitting in your camera roll.
We're trying to find the memory you want to turn into art.
Maybe it's one of your wedding photographs.
Maybe it's a picture of your dog doing the exact little head tilt you've seen a thousand times.
Maybe it's your grandparents standing together.
Maybe it's your family at your high school graduation.
Maybe it's your childhood home.
Maybe it's a completely ordinary picture from a completely ordinary day that became incredibly important to you later.
You are the only person who can decide which memory matters.
If you're choosing between several photographs and one keeps pulling you back, pay attention to that.
That's probably the one we should talk about.
What Makes a Good Reference Photo for a Painting?
Now let's talk about the technical side.
When possible, I love receiving a photograph that is:
Clear and in focus
High enough quality that I can see important details
Taken in good, even lighting
Free from extremely harsh shadows across the subject
Accurate enough in color for me to understand skin tone, fur color, clothing, architecture, or other important details
Taken from an angle that clearly shows the features you want represented
For a person or pet portrait, I especially love reference images where I can clearly see the subject's face and eyes.
If you're taking a photograph specifically for me to paint, having the person or pet looking toward the camera is incredibly helpful.
Soft natural light is also wonderful. A bright window or open shade outdoors can provide much more useful information than a photograph taken in harsh midday sun where half of someone's face disappears into shadow.
But please notice that I said:
When possible.
Sometimes the most meaningful photograph you have isn't technically perfect.
Don't automatically rule it out.
For a Pet Portrait, Let Me See Their Face
If you're commissioning a custom pet portrait, one of my biggest priorities is capturing what makes your pet look like your pet.
Their eyes.
Their markings.
Their coloring.
The shape of their ears.
That ridiculous little expression they always make.
For a dog portrait or cat portrait, I prefer a clear photograph where I can see their face, ideally with them looking toward the camera.
If you're taking a new reference photograph specifically for a portrait, get down closer to their eye level rather than photographing them from high above.
And look for good natural lighting.
That's consistent with general pet-portrait photography guidance as well: clear, well-lit photographs that show the animal's face provide better visual information, while photographing near eye level can create a more natural perspective.
But sometimes we're creating hand-painted pet art because a pet is no longer with us.
In that case, taking another photograph isn't an option.
Send me what you have.
We'll figure out what's possible together.
Your Favorite Photo Doesn't Have to Be Perfect
This is probably one of the biggest things I want potential clients to understand.
I'm creating a painting, not photocopying your photograph.
Your reference image gives me information.
It doesn't necessarily dictate every single thing that has to appear in the final artwork.
Maybe you absolutely love the way you and your spouse look in one wedding photograph, but there's a trash can in the background.
I don't have to paint the trash can.
Maybe your dog's expression is perfect, but there's a leash crossing awkwardly in front of their body.
We can talk about removing it.
Maybe there's something distracting behind your family.
Maybe you'd prefer a slightly different background.
Maybe one tiny detail isn't quite the way you'd want it represented in the final piece.
That's one of the beautiful things about commissioned painting.
We can paint the memory the way you want to remember it.
Can You Combine Multiple Photos Into One Painting?
In many cases, yes.
And this is where I like to describe painting as a little bit like Photoshop, but with a paintbrush.
Maybe Mom looks amazing in Photo A.
Dad looks much more like himself in Photo B.
The dog is actually looking at the camera in Photo C.
And somehow no photograph exists where everyone cooperated simultaneously.
Welcome to family photography.
That doesn't necessarily mean we can't create the painting you have in mind.
Depending on the photographs, I may be able to use multiple reference images to understand the different people, pets, details, colors, or surroundings and bring those elements together into one piece of custom artwork.
This can be especially useful for family portraits, memorial artwork, pet portraits, and other sentimental commissions.
The important thing is to show me the photographs and tell me what you're envisioning.
What If I Want a Painting From My Wedding Photos?
Wedding photographs make beautiful reference images for custom paintings.
Maybe you didn't have a live painter at your wedding but later realized there's one photograph you would love to see hanging in your home as original artwork.
We can absolutely talk about turning that moment into a commissioned wedding painting after the fact.
Maybe it's your first kiss.
Your first dance.
A portrait of the two of you.
A candid photograph that somehow perfectly captured how the day felt.
Or maybe there are elements from several wedding photographs that you'd like represented together.
This is where I want to know more than simply which image you selected.
Tell me why you selected it.
What do you remember about that moment?
What part matters most?
What do you want your eye to go to when you see the finished painting?
Those answers help me understand the story I'm painting, not just the photograph I'm referencing.
What About Family Portraits?
Family portraits are another place where choosing one perfect photograph can feel impossible.
Especially if there are children involved.
Or pets.
Or, heaven help us, children and pets.
If you have a photograph where everyone looks wonderful, fantastic.
Send it my way.
But if you don't, don't assume that means you can't commission the artwork you're imagining.
Send me several photographs.
Maybe one gives me the best reference for someone's face.
Another shows their hair more accurately.
Another helps me understand someone's coloring.
Another contains the expression you really want represented.
As long as I have enough visual information to work with, we can discuss what's possible.
What Makes a Good Reference Photo for a Home Portrait?
People and pets aren't the only subjects I paint.
I also create home portrait art, custom house paintings, and architectural art.
For a home, I'm looking for slightly different information.
I want to clearly understand the architecture.
Ideally, your photograph shows the house from the angle you'd like represented and isn't heavily obstructed.
Good lighting and accurate color are helpful here, too.
But again, we're making artwork.
Maybe there's a car parked in front of the house that you don't want included.
Maybe the garbage cans were out.
Maybe there's something temporary sitting in the yard.
Those things don't necessarily need to become permanent residents of your painting.
And sometimes, an older photograph is all we have because the house has changed, been sold, or is no longer there.
Send it anyway.
We'll see what we can create from it.
Can You Paint From an Old or Low-Quality Photograph?
Sometimes.
This is one of those situations where I would rather see the photograph before telling you no.
Older family photographs can carry enormous sentimental value, especially when we're creating a tribute portrait or artwork involving someone who is no longer here.
Of course I would love to have a perfectly lit, high-resolution reference photograph.
But life doesn't always give us that.
Sometimes the most important photograph is blurry.
Sometimes it's old.
Sometimes it's the only picture you have.
Sometimes the person isn't looking directly at the camera.
That may limit how much detail I can confidently reproduce, but it doesn't automatically mean the photograph is unusable.
Send me the image.
I can look at what information is available and tell you what I think will translate successfully into a painting.
Don't Choose a Different Memory Just Because the "Better" Photo Is Sharper
This is where the technical and sentimental sides of this question meet.
Imagine you're choosing between two photographs.
Photo A is perfect.
Beautiful lighting.
Everyone is looking at the camera.
Crystal clear.
Technically, it's everything I could ask for.
But Photo B is the photograph that makes you cry.
I want to see Photo B.
Maybe we can use Photo B as our primary composition and Photo A to help me understand someone's features.
Maybe there's another photograph that shows the missing detail.
Maybe I can make adjustments through the painting process.
Or maybe Photo B gives me everything I need anyway.
Don't automatically sacrifice the memory because you think an artist would prefer the prettier photograph.
Show me both.
You Don't Have to Figure This Out Before Contacting Me
I think this is especially important if you have a folder full of potential reference photos and you're completely overwhelmed.
You don't need to become an art director before commissioning a painting.
That's part of my job.
Send me your favorites.
Tell me:
"This is the one I love most, but I'm worried about this part."
Or:
"I love her expression in this photo, but I like the composition of this other one."
Or:
"These are the only photographs I have of him."
That information is incredibly helpful.
Then I can look at the images from an artist's perspective and help determine which photograph, or combination of photographs, gives us the best foundation.
The Best Reference Photo Is the One That Helps Us Tell Your Story
Yes, I want good lighting.
Yes, I want a clear image.
Yes, seeing someone's face and eyes clearly makes my job easier.
But ultimately, I don't create personalized art because a photograph has perfect lighting.
I create it because the photograph represents something you don't want to forget.
Your wedding.
Your family.
Your dog.
Your cat.
Your childhood home.
Someone you love.
Somewhere you belonged.
A completely ordinary Tuesday that you didn't realize would become one of your favorite memories.
Start with the photograph that means something.
Then send it to me.
If it's technically perfect, wonderful.
If it needs a little artistic problem-solving, we'll talk about it.
And if the memory you want to preserve exists somewhere between three different photographs?
Well...
That's the beauty of painting. Let's make it into art.
