| The Quality of your photo is very important. The first step is to choose your favorite photo of your pet. I am a photo realist and work directly from just one photo. It can be in color or black and white but must be in sharp focus and have good lighting. I will not paint what I refer to as a "Frankenpet" which is, for example, taking the head from one photo and putting it on the body of another photo. I have tried this before and it does not work. I prefer to paint just the head and chest as this is where the personality is. However, if the photo lends itself, I will paint the entire pet. It does not have to be a close up. Most of the photos that I work from are of the entire pet and I crop the photo down to the part we want to use. I have found that photos taken at the pets level work much better than when take from above. Lighting is very important. Please make sure that the sun or flash is hitting them square in the face or a little off to the side which allows me to catch all the highlights and details. This is especially important with black or dark dogs. If your photo has red eye, do not worry, I can remove it You can either e-mail me your photo or mail it. I blow it up to 8x10 to see detail and will return your original with your painting Once we receive your 50% deposit, you will be added to my commission schedule. I am backed up about three and a half to four months. You will receive a color sketch to approve before I begin. This will show color and how I have cropped your photo. It will be a rough sketch, but it will give you a good idea of just how your painting will look. Suzanne Schirra | 
