The reference photo for the oil portrait of Alexis was taken on a sunny day
Here are 4 ways on “how to get your photos to painted portraits” for people who want all the photography details. If you are not that kind of a person, however, don’t worry. Just contact me and I can personally direct you to use your photos to the best advantage.
1. Photos that you already have
When you have a favorite photo that you want painted into a prized custom oil portrait the best way to give me the highest quality is to send me a hi-resolution (“hi-res”) image. That means that it has a lot of megabytes (mb) so I can enlarge it to see as much detail as I want without it turning into an abstract display of sharp-edged square pixels. Thus when you save your best-loved photos, save the hi-res versions of them. (Smart phones today let you do that.) 10 mb photos are all right for references, more than 30 is much better.
Please don’t worry, however. If you don’t have a hi-res file of your selected photo, I can make do. I just have a harder time with the details. Sending other photos of the subject can be a big help for me too.
2. Photos that you could take for future portraits
If you are going to take a photo that you might like to have made into a portrait some day, there are some preparations that you could do, if you are interested.
a) Set up
- Set your camera so that the size of the picture is at the highest setting. This is a high-resolution or “hi-res” photo.
- If possible, use a tripod. Otherwise do your best not to move. One trick is to press the shutter button ½ way, take a breath, hold it and finish the button press.
b) “Rembrandt Lighting,” is a great choice for portraits and not hard to do
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Rembrandt’s Portrait of a Dutch Man
This is the beautiful lighting that Rembrandt used for his portraits. It shows more depth than a flat-lighted snapshot.
- Put the subject with one shoulder closest to a window or lighting source.
- You (and the camera) face the subject with your opposite shoulder closest to that lighting source.
- One side of the face is well-lit. The other side is in shadow. Then you turn the head a touch toward the light so that the darker cheek gets just a little light on it.
c) How much background to include
- Come as close to the subject as possible, so that the frame is only slightly larger than the pose that you want. This makes use of the full hi-res file.
- Head shot: Include the a bit of the chest too. (see above)
- Head to hands: Add another several inches below the hands.
- Full figure. Come in close as possible without much background at all. Just be sure to include all of the feet. (Don’t put too much background into the picture so that the face becomes tiny. Even a hi-res file, in such a case, will be fuzzy and pixelated.)
- You can also do as I do in my photoshoots: Photograph the pose first (again, as close in as possible). Don’t stress out the subject by putting attention on their face at this stage. Let just be relaxed and natural. Then, if you didn’t happen to get a good expression, just move the camera in for a closeup. The face should be in the same position and with the same angle and lighting. You can now shoot many of these closeups to get the exact expression that you want.
3. Hiring a local pro photographer
- If possible, give me their email and phone number. I can contact them, listen to what they have in mind and give them my suggestions.
- Get their agreement that you can have an artist use their photo(s) for reference in painting a portrait. I need that agreement in writing. It’s never been a problem. I can even get them to email it to me when I talk to them.
4. I could come to your location
- If you want me to take the photos, my husband is the photographer and I am the director.
- You would pay our travel expenses, but there would be no charge for the photo session or reference photos.
- You would need to put down a 50% deposit first on your oil portrait for this option.
Since email has become such an easy way to send digital photos, I have painted so many portraits at long distance. Although it is very nice to meet my clients in person and do a photoshoot in my studio, it is now easy to get your beloved photos to painted portraits by me with just a few tips as mentioned above.
Email me your photos and I will be glad to give you a free consultation on using them as references for an amazing portrait.
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