Thank you for trusting me with something so personal. This piece of art will be a transformation of you, into something both familiar and a little otherworldly. To bring your portrait to life as accurately as possible, I’ll need a few reference photos of you. This guide will walk you through how to capture images that feel natural, so your final artwork holds both your likeness and a sense of surreal magic.

for your object-head portrait

A Quick Guide to Photographing Yourself

Lighting (this is the most important part)

Please photograph yourself in soft, natural light.

The best options are:

  • Standing beside a large window or open doorway

  • Standing outside in the shade (under a patio, tree, or awning)

Try to avoid:

  • Direct sunlight hitting your face or body (this creates harsh shadows)

  • Overhead lighting or indoor artificial lights

We’re aiming for gentle, even light that softly wraps around you. The best time of day for this is in the morning, during sunrise, or the late afternoon as the sun is setting. If it’s an overcast day, then any time is fine.

Positioning & Angle

  • Stand facing the light source (window/door/open sky)

  • Keep your body relaxed and natural

  • The camera should be held at about chest or eye level

  • Avoid dramatic angles - straight-on or slightly turned is perfect

You’re welcome to send a few variations (slight turns, different poses) so I can choose what feels most aligned with the piece. Please refer to the photograph of myself as reference. As you can see, the light is coming through a large window to my right. I’ve angled myself toward that light, and I’ve positioned myself on a slight angle to the camera, rather than straight on. The camera was positioned on a tripod around chest height.

If you’re a couple, consider how you’d like to pose together, whether that be side by side, or one person slightly in front of the other. You could even be facing each other. This is entirely up to you as a couple. Feel free to try several poses and send them all my way.

Framing the Photo

Please refer to the photograph above as reference. Ideally, I need photos from about your hips up. Make sure your shoulders and upper body are clearly visible. Leave a little space above your shoulders (even though your head will be replaced). It’s best to photograph yourself against a blank wall / closed door if possible. Try to avoid an overly busy background.

Expression & Feeling

You don’t need to “pose perfectly.” You can clearly see by my face in the reference image I wasn’t stressed over my facial expression. Since your head will be replaced don’t worry about your face. A soft, neutral expression or a subtle emotion you resonate with is perfect.

Try to relax your body. Think of it as capturing a quiet moment rather than performing for the camera. Other than me, no one else will see these pictures, and I promise I’ll be deleting them after I’m done painting your object-head portrait.

What to Wear

Wear something that feels like you. Soft textures, simple silhouettes, and pieces you feel comfortable in tend to translate beautifully into the final artwork.

Try to avoid:

  • Overly busy patterns or logos that are distracting

  • Very dark clothing that loses too much detail

If you’re unsure, feel free to send me pictures of what you have and we can figure it out together.

Hair (Important)

Because your portrait will be transformed into an object-head piece:

  • If you have long hair, please tie it back into a bun

  • Keep your hair off your neck and shoulders as best you can, but don’t stress about little fly-aways

This allows me to clearly reference what part of you I need to paint, and helps me create a seamless transition into your object-head form.

Sending Your Photos

Please send 3–6 photos that are clear, high-resolution images (phone photos are perfectly fine, unless your phone is ancient, in which case, phone a friend with a good quality phone and ask them to borrow it).

You can email them to: hello@charlisavage.com.au