Choosing the perfect photo

Simplistic Prints AU is extremely happy to be able to offer personalised illustrations to our valued customers 

The better the photo = the better the result !

Choosing the perfect photo

When ordering a custom illustration, it’s super important to take the time and care into selecting the perfect photo

Not sure how to find the best photo?
No worries!

Luckily we’ve created this step by step guide to help you :)

Here are the 3 most important things to look out for when choosing a photo

Quality

Photos with a sharp focus and in high quality are the easiest for us to work with.

Images that are blurry make it difficult for us to see finer details.

Positioning

Photos in which your subjects are fully within the frame and at a reasonable distance work best.

If subjects are covered by other people or objects, cropped out of the photo, or are positioned at quite a distance away where zooming in is necessary, the photo may not be ideal for a fully detailed illustration.

Lighting

Bright lighting where the subjects features are clear work best.

Darker images with harsh shadows are much more difficult to work with.

To ensure best results, just remember, the brighter the better.

Now that you know what to look for in the perfect photo, let's go through some examples

Family illustrations

Good photo examples

          Good photo examples               Bad photo examples

Bad photo examples

      Good photo examples         Bad photo examples

- All family members are in the frame
- The lighting is bright and the subjects are in focus

- Lighting is extremely dark
(this makes it quite difficult to see details such as hair colours, clothing patterns or their facial features)

Couple illustrations

Good photo examples

Bad photo examples

      Good photo examples         Bad photo examples

- Couples are fully in the frame
- Facing eachother of the camera and their facial details are clear 

- Couples not facing the camera
- Lighting is dark and subjects are blurred
- Phone selfies mean the phone is a feature of the illustration (not ideal for an art work)

Friend group illustrations

Good photo examples

Bad photo examples

- Friends are all facing the front
- All friends are at the same distance from the camera

- Distance between friends and the camera varies and some are covered by others
- Table covers the friends bodies

Pet illustrations

Good photo examples

Bad photo examples

      Good photo examples         Bad photo examples

- Pets are fully in the frame and facing the camera
- The camera angle is not above them, but in front of them

- The grass is covering parts of the first dog
- Photos taken from above the dogs eye level are not ideal as their whole body cannot be seen

Wedding illustrations

Good photo examples

Bad photo examples

      Good photo examples         Bad photo examples

- Couples are facing eachother or the camera with facial details clear
- Dress / veil / flowers are in frame and photo is of high quality so smaller details can be drawn in

- Couple 1 is far away from the camera requiring zooming in to see details (which become blurry once zoomed in)
- Couple 2 in motion and therefore blurred (no details in the dress can be seen)

Baby illustrations

Good photo examples

Bad photo examples

      Good photo examples         Bad photo examples

- Babies are facing the camera and are fully in frame
- If laying down, there are no blankets/toys covering the babies body

- The first baby is being held and it’s body is not centred or fully in the frame
- The second baby is covered by the blankets, and not much of it’s body is visible to draw

Merging photos

These dogs were from 2 different photos !
Because the lighting, positioning & camera angles were similar, it looks as though they were actually posing in a photo together.

We are also able to use multiple photos and merge them into one illustration !

Please keep in mind that when merging photos together, choosing the right photos is extremely important.

We like to ensure the illustration looks as natural as possible, therefore please consider the following when choosing your photos

Lighting & quality

Please ensure the lighting and quality of all photos match well

If one photo is well lit and of high quality, while another photo is dark and blurry, they may not work well together.

Positioning

Please ensure the positioning of subjects in all photos match well

If one photo contains a group of people with their full body in view, while another photo is a close up shot, they may not work well together.

Camera Angle

Please ensure the camera angle of subjects in all photos match well

This is especially important when merging photos of people and pets

If the camera angle is above the pet, but straight on for the subjects, they may not work well together.

100% transparency

While we endeavour to fulfil all custom illustration orders, depending on the photos provided this may not always be possible.

We will always be truthful in whether we believe a photo will work well, and will not take on an order we feel we cannot successfully create, as we do not wish to disappoint any of our customers.

Still feeling lost?


We are more than happy to work with you in finding that perfect photo!
Please feel free to reach out and send through multiple photos and we will talk you through which photos will provide the best results !

Ready to order?

To place an order, head over to our “how to order” page to see our drawing styles and prices, and follow the steps there!

Once you know how to order, either message us through our instagram account, or submit a form here to place your order.

Don’t forget to attach your photo/s !

Check out some reviews from our customers!

Simplistic Prints Au was an absolute pleasure to deal with, very responsive and completed my order in an extremely quick timeframe.

The print came out exactly how I envisioned. I was given the option to to change the background colour and check everything before the print was sent over. Very pleased with my artwork, cute valentines gift.

Thank you so much Simplistic Prints Au 💗

- Lucinda

I only had seperate photos of my 2 pups as they never met in person, but I’ve always wished I had a memory of them together.

Thanks to the extremely talented Ashleigh, she was able to take my 2 photos and put them together into a print so I could cherish my two sweet angels.

I highly recommend her services if you wish to create a memory using multiple photos! Will be coming back for more illustrations in the future :)

- Deidre

I was so extremely happy with the print I ordered from Simplistic Prints AU!

The process couldn't have been easier - just send through the photo and not only does Ash draw it up to your exact liking but also helps out choosing background colours and designs as well as font options. You just pick and choose what you want and she creates it all for you !!

Have recommended her to all my family and friends !

- Joe

I can’t believe how incredibly detailed my puppy illustration was !!
I was actually blown away by how realistic she looks.


You can tell there is a lot more detail, time and effort put into these drawings than other similar competitors.

Ashleigh went above and beyond and I cannot wait to get more prints drawn by her!


Thank you so so much :)

- Sarah