When taking a photo for reference, there are a few different things you can do to capture the best possible outcome for your artist.

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1. Take your photo in natural bright lighting.

The best place to take a photo is outside, of an afternoon!

Place your subject in indirect sunlight (a shaded area but still well lit), with the light source coming from behind you, to get the most accurate colour and light.

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2. Ensure you are a good distance from the subject. 

Pictures from too far away reduce the amount of detail that can be added to the portrait, and may have an effect on the likeness! Take the photo from roughly a meter away.

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3. Take the photo from subjects eye height.

Photos from above often don't make the best portrait photos. Kneel if you can and take a front on picture of your subject.

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4. Make sure the picture is in focus, and high quality image file used.

The more detail in the photo, the better the portrait. Blurry shots or photos that are of low quality make it difficult to capture the likeness of the subject, and may affect the outcome of the portrait!