• Give your pet a photo session!
  What better than to catch your pet in it’s natural habitat! Okay, maybe that’s 
  the couch, ...but that’s okay!
• You may want a friend to help you with either taking the pictures or helping to pose your pet. Once everyone is relaxed, try to get eye level. A friend can hold a toy or treat as bait (to keep from getting a wet nose print on the camera lens!); also, use “key” or “trigger” words like “treat”, “cookie”, “toy”, that mean something good to your pet for trying to capture that special look in the eyes and ears. 
• Most animals respond to strange sounds. Horns, whistles, squeaks, and any crazy noise you can make, like meowing, or whatever. Your dog will think you’re crazy, but you’ll probably snap a great picture!
• Please remove collars if you can. I try to omit them for a more natural look, but definitely use them if it helps get good pictures or if that’s natural for your pet.
• Try to get a three-quarter profile. This pose adds depth to the painting. To achieve this, your subject must be at a 45 degree angle. This creates a noble portrait. Of course, it isn’t necessary, since some of my favorite paintings have come from odd angles that really add to the portrait. Take a little artistic license of your own, have fun! Just be sure to get the details. Don’t be afraid to capture those funny looks that are your favorite! Portraits don’t have to be stuffy. Let’s see some personality too!
• For full body poses, try to prevent FULL FRONTAL NUDITY:)
  Know what I mean?
• Don’t be afraid to snap too many pictures of one pose. Using a digital camera allows you the benefit of multiple shots without wasting film. That way you can see if there was drool, a blink or blurred movement. That’s the beauty in new technology, you can see what happened in the photo before saving it! Make sure you save these pictures with a high resolution. Oh yeah, NO CAMERA PHONE or Polaroid pictures due to lack of detail!
• Last, ....Have Fun! Let me take care of the serious stuff. You’ll have a memory that will warm your heart and put a smile on your face.
  Thanks,
  Rhonda

As you can see this photo is very damaged,
but the most important part fine, so I was
able to create this unique portrait.

In the painting below, my clients provided the hat so I could be more accurate. I also had to do some extra research for the face since the details were blurred out by the flash.