Just like us Dogs show their emotions in their behaviour, their body language but more noticeably in their facial expression. We all interpret what we want when we see these expressions but nothing can be more universally understood than the emotion we see in their eyes.

 I try to capture that emotion in my drawings. Its always a pleasure to create a portrait that truly resembles their personality and spirit.  

Dogs, cats and almost all domestic animals have a special reflective layer in the back of the eye termed the tapetum, which enhances nocturnal vision. Light passes through the animal's retina from outside of the eye and is then reflected back through the retina a second time from the reflective tapetal layer beneath the retina. This double stimulation of the retina helps these species to see better than humans do in dim light situations. So, when the dog is looking directly at the camera when the flash goes off the dreaded 'blue' eye effect appears.

Tips for a quality photo: Where possible take the picture outside on a cloudless day with the sun behind you and at your dogs eye level. If you want the dog to look at the camera try holding a treat alongside the camera lens when taking the photo. If you need to take an indoor shot, try to increase the light inside the room so that the dog’s pupils are more constricted. Hope these tips help. Feel free to contact me for further advice - Kelly