How to Photograph Your Pet — Photo Guide

Photo guide

Before you upload — read this

Takes about 3 minutes. It makes the biggest difference to how much your figurine looks like your pet.

The better your photos, the closer we can get. A blurry snapshot gives us “a dog.” Six clear shots give us your dog — the markings, the eyes, the way the ears sit. Please send 6–8 photos covering the angles below.

Where to stand

You don’t need a studio. You need six positions and even light. Stand at each of the marks below and take one photo.

Top-down map of the six camera positions around your pet A diagram showing where to stand for each of the six photos: front, 45 degrees left, 45 degrees right, side left, side right, and directly above. 1 Front (face on) 2 45° left 3 45° right 4 Side left 5 Side right 6 From above — stand over your pet and shoot straight down
  • 1 Front (face on)
  • 2 45° left
  • 3 45° right
  • 4 Full-body, from the left
  • 5 Full-body, from the right
  • 6 From above — straight down
1
Straight-on frontFace square to the camera. This is the shot that decides whether the face looks right.
2
45° from the leftShows how long the snout is and where the ears sit.
3
45° from the rightThe mirror of shot 2 — send both, don’t skip one.
4
Full-body side, from the leftWhole body from the side: body length, legs, tail, overall proportions.
5
Full-body side, from the rightThe mirror of shot 4 — it also catches markings on the other flank.
6
From aboveStand over your pet and shoot straight down: top markings and ear spacing.
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One close-up of a special markingA unique patch, a scar, the exact eye color — anything that makes your pet unmistakable.
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Both standing and sittingSend at least one of each — it tells us the pose we should build.
Optional but helpful: a short video

A 30–60 second video helps us fine-tune the body shape and coat. Slowly walk a full circle around your pet, keep the phone steady, and don’t rush. Not required — good photos are enough.

Do this · Not this

What works, and what doesn’t

✓ Do

  • Shoot in even, natural daylight (near a window, or outdoors on a cloudy day)
  • Use a plain background — a wall, a floor, a sofa
  • Get sharp, in-focus shots — tap to focus before you shoot
  • Send photos straight from your phone, unedited
  • Include the whole body in the side shot

✗ Avoid

  • Flash, harsh shadows, or strong backlight
  • Filters, beauty mode, or heavy editing — they change the colors we need to match
  • Messaging-app compression — send the original file, not a forwarded one
  • Blurry or distant shots where your pet is tiny in the frame
  • Other pets or people in the photo — it gets confusing

Quick checklist

Right before you hit upload

  • 6–8 photos in total
  • Front, 45° left, 45° right, both side profiles, from above
  • One close-up of a special marking
  • Both standing and sitting
  • Even lighting, plain background
  • No filters, no beauty mode, no compression
  • Sharp and in focus

What happens next

From your photos to your figurine

  1. You upload your photos.
  2. We check them within 24 hours. If anything is unclear, we’ll email you with exactly which shot to retake — free of charge, and there’s nothing to worry about at this stage.
  3. We build your pet’s 3D model and send you a preview.
  4. You review and approve the preview. We only start making your figurine after you say yes. You get 1–2 rounds of free adjustments before you approve.
  5. We print, hand-paint, and ship your one-of-a-kind piece.
Why we do step 4

Because a custom figurine should look like your pet — not just “a dog.” The preview is your chance to check the eyes, the ears, and the markings before we make anything. Nothing gets produced until you’re happy.

Common questions

Questions we get every day

Can I just use photos from my phone?

Yes — phone photos are perfectly fine. Just make sure they’re sharp, well-lit, and unedited. In fact, send the original file rather than a photo forwarded through a messaging app.

My pet has passed away — I only have older photos.

Send what you have. Older or lower-quality photos change what’s possible, but in most cases we can still create a piece that captures your pet. If we need something more, we’ll tell you honestly before you pay.

How many photos is too many?

There’s no such thing. Six to eight covers what we need; if you want to send twenty, send twenty. More angles always help.

What if my photos aren’t good enough?

We’ll let you know within 24 hours and ask you to retake specific shots. This happens before any work begins, so it costs you nothing.

Will the figurine look exactly like the photo?

We aim for a recognizable, polished likeness — but a hand-finished figurine is an artistic interpretation, not a photocopy. Photo quality, lighting, and fur texture all play a part. That’s exactly why we show you the preview first.

Ready when you are. You can order today and upload your photos whenever you like — production only starts once you approve the preview.

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Questions about anything else? How It Works covers the whole process, and the FAQ answers the rest.