Photos That Don't Work
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Some photos simply cannot be worked from. Here are the most common problems, and what to send instead of each one.
Blurry or out of focus
If the eyes are not sharp when you zoom in on the photo, it will not work. Pets move fast, and a lot of otherwise-nice photos are a fraction of a second out of focus without it being obvious on a small phone screen. Instead: zoom in on the photo before you send it and check the eyes are crisp, or take a few more shots and pick the sharpest.
Too far away
A photo where your pet is a small figure in a big scene — across a field, at the far end of a garden — does not have enough facial detail to work from, however nice the wider shot is. Instead: get closer, or crop in tight on the face if the original resolution allows it.
Heavy filters or overlays
Cartoon filters, sticker overlays and heavy colour-grading apps change the actual detail in the photo, not just its style — the software is often smoothing or replacing real texture. Instead: send the original, unfiltered photo, even if it looks plainer to you.
A screenshot of a screenshot
Each screenshot, and each time an image is re-saved or forwarded through a messaging app, loses more detail and adds compression artefacts. A photo that has been screenshotted more than once has usually lost a lot of the fine detail it started with. Instead: go back to the original photo in your camera roll, not a forwarded or re-saved copy.
Group shots
If your pet is one of several animals or people in the photo, they usually end up too small in the frame, and it is not always obvious which pet in the shot is the one to work from. Instead: crop to your pet specifically, or take a fresh photo of just them.
Taken from directly above
Looking straight down at your pet distorts the proportions of the face — the top of the head dominates and the eyes and muzzle shrink. Instead: crouch down to roughly their eye level and photograph from there.
Flash directly in the eyes
A direct flash close to the camera often causes strong reflections or eyeshine that hides the real colour and detail of the eyes, especially in low light. Instead: use natural light or room lighting where possible, and avoid a direct on-camera flash.
None of this is about blame
Every one of these is an easy mistake — most people's camera rolls are full of exactly these photos, because they were taken to remember a moment, not to be printed large. If you are not sure whether a photo will work, send it and we will work with the best one you have got; the tips above just improve your odds of a sharper result.