Choosing the perfect photo for a successful custom modern portrait
The custom modern portrait is attracting more and more people because it is an original wall decoration object and a unique gift full of emotion. Colorful and graphic or sober and artistic, it allows you to enhance a simple photo into a unique creation.
But so that we can achieve a beautiful result, it is important to provide us a good quality of photo. Even if our professional illustrator has acquired foolproof know-how over the years, some basic technical criteria will be necessary. Rest assured, it isn't obligatory to be a professional photographer, an image from a mobile phone can be perfectly suitable. Here are our tips for knowing which photo to choose for your portrait !
The 3 technical criteria for an ideal starting photo
Sharpness and resolution
Sharpness is undoubtedly the most important criterion. To transform a photo into successful modern art, you must be able to clearly distinguish the details of the person : the eyes, the smile, the expressions or even the contours of the face. This is even more true for portraits drawn in a comic or Lichtenstein style.
Our recommendations :
- For optimum resolution, we work with the original photos rather than screenshots or re-cropped photos.
- The weight of your image must be greater than 800kb because we must be able to zoom on the details of the faces (eyes, mouth).
- The photo must be clear. The blur is annoying especially for certain graphic styles like Pop Art or Splash.
- We preferably use a photo taken with a recent smartphone or digital camera.
Brightness and contrast
Good light allows you to remain faithful to the volumes of the face during creation. Photos taken outside are best, preferably in the morning when the light is soft. It is important to have even lighting on the subject to obtain an excellent quality modern portrait.
What not to do :
- Significant backlighting. (If the shadows are too strong, the volume of the face will be flat)
- A strong light source on one side of the face : this creates too strong contrasts
- Overexposed photos that hide expressive features
Posture and framing
Close-ups are generally recommended, without being too exaggerated. Indeed, selfies, for example, tend to distort or even enlarge facial features.
You should choose a photo framed at the bust or face level because most of the portrait styles offered are framed this way. On the other hand, if you want to go with a modern minimalist creation, a photo of the whole person will be more expressive and dynamic.
What to absolutely avoid for your custom portrait
Some photos unnecessarily complicate the creative work and can limit the quality of the final result. Here are the most common defects that will result in poor photo quality for a canvas or poster print :
- Group photos where faces are too small.
- Social network filters such as Instagram or Snapchat which modify natural colors and blur the photo.
- For costume styles portraits (superheroes or manga), sunglasses, hats or caps that hide part of the face.
- Highly pixelated photos. By zooming in on the face, pixel squares are formed.
- Photos taken from too far away.
- Specific case of mosaic -
For the customised photo mosaic projects, we recommend using a sharp main image with even lighting. The closer the face(s) are, the more detailed and faithful the final rendering will be. For a main image of a landscape or something other than people, it is better that it has a varied composition and colors, the result will be prettier.
Likewise, the small photos that make up the mosaic must be sharp and clear enough so that you can distinguish them when observing the work closely.
The secret of Votreportrait.fr : the magic of manual creation
Unlike many automated services, every modern custom portrait is made manually. We don't use any automatic filters or artificial intelligence to generate the creation.
Far from a standardised rendering or a simple photo "stucked" on a background, our illustrator works on the subject using the graphic palette in order to realise a harmonious work adapted to the chosen style and decor. If your photo has a small defect, this “handmade” approach often allows us to correct them, for example by :
- cleanly isolates the subject from the background of the photo
- removing a background or clutter
- harmonising colors between people from different photos
- erasing certain details which hide certain areas to be worked on
What to do if you are hesitating between several photos ?
This is a very common situation that we can help you with before ordering. Whether it is to tell you which shot would give the best result, give you technical advice on a photo or advise you on the most suitable style of personalised portrait, don't hesitate to let us know your request !
Our graphic designer will check their quality based on the style and size of the desired portrait. In addition, following your order, you will receive within 1 to 2 working days a preview by email (Good to Print) for validation before printing. You will be able to request modifications until you like the creation.
- Good to know -
If your order has already been finalised and you have transferred several photos that you like, we will come back to you to choose together the image to transform.
A modern, handcrafted portrait delivered in 7 days
By choosing to entrust us with the creation of your portrait, you are sure to have a personalised creation realised with care.
As explained in this article, your portrait will be designed from your photos by our professional illustrator then printed in high resolution. We calibrate the colors so that they are bright, and offer various formats. The printing media are of quality : canvas stretched on a wooden frame or glossy photo paper.
Our collection of custom portraits also offer an alternative to more classic presents or decorative objects sold in specialised stores. Whatever the occasion, you will immortalise a memory and offer a unique gift that is sure to surprise the recipient.
- Discover an original product -
Want to please during an important event ? You will surely appreciate this original personalised gift idea : the custom photo mosaic for wedding! It allows us to tell the story of the bride and groom through hundreds of memories brought together in a single work. Choose the most beautiful photo of the two lovebirds, send us between 200 and 1000 personal photos, finalise your order, and we will take care of the rest !
Color, black and white or sepia, select the product you like :
Frequently asked questions about choosing photos
Can I use an old scanned paper photo ?
Yes. An old picture can perfectly serve as the basis for a personalised modern portrait. To obtain the best possible result, we simply recommend performing a high resolution scan (300 dpi while selecting the photo to scan).
My favorite photo has a bad background, is this a problem ?
No way. In most cases, our graphic designer isolates the subject to focus on the face and replace it with a graphic or colored background depending on the chosen style.
Are photos taken with a smartphone accepted ?
Yes, recent smartphones generate files with excellent definition, perfect for printing on large format canvas.
How many photos are needed for a personalised photo mosaic ?
There is no single number, we ask that you provide us with between 200 and 1000 unique photos. Below 200 photos, there will be too many repetitions (A mosaic is made up of 2400 photos on average). The photos must be varied, both in terms of subjects (one or more people/faces, landscapes, objects, etc.) and colors (in the case of a color mosaic)
Can I mix recent and old photos in a mosaic ?
Yes. We may process scanned paper photos to insert them into the mosaic. This will add all the richness and emotion to the portrait...
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