As is the case with most art, there are no hard & fast rules. The information provided on this page is meant to be a guideline to help you select (or take) a few possible images for your custom clock. We recommend that you provide us with two to four photos so that The Clock Lady may help you with the final decision on which is best suited for your clock. Also, please remember that we do an extensive amount of photo editing to virtually every image we turn into a clock. This includes touching up and even replacing the background, so the discussion on this page will focus entirely on the subject of the photo.
The most important thing to keep in mind when selecting a photo for your custom clock is the subject should be taller than it is wide (vertically oriented). In addition, it is best to have the entire body visible within the photograph. For an animal, this generally means a front view of your pet, from the ears to the paws. For a person, the view is less important than having the entire body showing in the photo. Read on for more details & look carefully at the photos of good & bad examples. Since so many of the clocks we design are of animals, we’ll start there.
The best photos of dogs, cats & horses are most often taken from the front, with the animal facing the camera. Pet photos are best taken at or slightly above their eye level, which means you will most likely find yourself on the floor. All body parts should be visible in the photo. Dogs & cats will look more natural if they are in a sitting position, but standing or even lying down can also work, as long as the photo is not taken from the side. Four-legged animals are much too wide, when viewed from the side, to fit into the confines of one clock hour.
The photos ABOVE are perfect and exactly what we are looking for. All three dogs are sitting, facing the camera. The fact that the dogs in the second & third photo are sitting slightly to the side is not a problem because the image is still very vertical. Note also that all body parts are visible. These three photos turned into wonderful dog clocks.
The three photos ABOVE are also wonderful, even though the animals are not sitting &/or facing the camera. Each of them works because the subject is taller than it is wide. There is an obvious vertical line & all body parts are visible.
What if all of your photos show your pet from the side, as in most show photography? Or what if you have a wonderful photo of just your pet’s face? In many cases, we are able to isolate the head, though this works best when the face is turned toward the camera as in the photos BELOW. All three of these photos made wonderful clocks (see the Great Dane clock & the cat clock on the From Photo to Clock page and the Pug clock in the Pooch Gallery).
Now let’s take a look at what doesn’t work so well.
The photo ABOVE is not well suited for a clock. Four-legged animals, when viewed from the side, are much too wide. There is very little chance of this photo becoming a good dachshund clock.
The two photos ABOVE are provided as further examples of what not to do. The little puppy is adorable, but the photo has two major problems. First, the image is wider than it is tall. Second, the photo was taken from too close of a distance, so several body parts are not visible. The photo of the cat also has problems, even though the cat is quite lovely. Again, the image is wider than it is tall so it will not fit well into one clock hour. Second, the cat is not looking at the camera. Could either of these photos work? Possibly, but if better photos exist, send them instead.
And, not to beat a dead horse, but the examples BELOW help demonstrate these concepts as they applies to horses. The image on the left is a perfect action shot that made a wonderful clock & great gift for a horse lover. The image on the right is far too wide to work for a clock.
Now let’s move on to people. As with animals, the goal is to orient the subject(s) vertically & to have all body parts visible in the photo.
The photos ABOVE are perfect examples of what we are looking for. The subjects are vertically oriented & their entire bodies are visible in the photo. Both of these made wonderful clocks (see From Photo to Clock page).
ABOVE, the photo on the left is well suited for a clock because the subject is vertically oriented. The photo on the right is not well suited for a clock because the subject’s pose makes the image wider than it is tall.
The photos ABOVE are another example of a good versus bad clock photo. The image on the left shows virtually all of the subject’s body & therefore makes it possible to work with. Having the feet showing in the photo would be even better. Conversely, the photo on the right presents a major problem in that the lower half of the subject’s body is missing. There is nothing to work with from the waist down. For this same reason, portrait photography, including school photos, is not well suited for a clock.
Babies present a special challenge in that they are not able to stand while you take their photo, making it difficult to capture their entire body in the image. Crib photos (standing over the crib to take the photo) do not generally produce good clocks (for the same reasons that portrait photography is not well suited). One option is to have someone hold the child for the photo. Another solution is to wait a few months & photograph the child when it is able to sit up. Whichever you chose, it is important to take the photo at eye level with the child.
Groups also deserve some special consideration when taking or choosing a photo for your clock. Tightly group your subjects together, as in the examples BELOW. Encourage people to put their arms around each other to get them closer and to give your photo a warm feeling. Do not line people up shoulder to shoulder, especially in the case of groups larger than two. Instead, position taller individuals in back, making sure that everyone’s face is visible. A good group photo will yield a wonderful custom clock & a very unique gift.
Wedding photos make wonderful clocks. When selecting your photo, choose one that has the couple standing closely together & shows their entire bodies, from head to toe. Older photos transform into wonderful 50th wedding anniversary gifts.
One final word on eye contact. When photographing animals & children, it is often necessary to get down on the floor to take the shot from the eye level of your subject.
Still have questions? Please feel free to email a few photos to The Clock Lady for an opinion as to whether or not your images will work for a clock. Remember that everything explained on this page is a guideline (not a rule) for selecting the best (not the only) photo. What is important is to remember the key concepts; the subject of your photo should be fully visible & vertically oriented.
