Black and white pet portraits

Deep blacks, clean whites, soft light from one side and a fine film grain: the classic black-and-white portrait, with your dog or cat in it. Free to see in about a minute.

Make my pet's black-and-white portrait, free

Free to see. No account, no card.

Real black & white examples

Dog · Black & white
Cat · Black & white

Real portraits from customers who said we could show them.

Why black and white lasts

For most of photography's history, black and white was simply what photographs were. Even after colour film took over, photographers kept using it for portraits, because without colour your eye goes straight to shape, texture and expression. Kodak's Tri-X, a fast black-and-white film photographers have used since the 1950s, gave a whole generation of portraits their grainy, rich look.

The lighting borrows from painting. Rembrandt lighting, one soft source from the side so half the face falls into shadow with a small triangle of light on the far cheek, is named after the Dutch painter who used it in the 1600s, and portrait photographers still use it today.

How our black & white style looks

Our black-and-white style is a fine-art film portrait: a classic film and a 50mm lens, developed for fine grain and a full range from deep black to clean white, lit by one large soft light from the side. There's no colour tint anywhere.

Black and white flatters every coat colour, and it looks as at home in a modern flat as in an old house.

Scenes it suits

Black and white is at its best when it's simple. The plain portrait and a Studio backdrop are the classics; Sleepy & cosy is soft and lovely. Black tie becomes properly old Hollywood, and the Passport photo is very dry indeed. It's also a quiet, dignified choice for In loving memory.

Where black and white looks best

Questions

Is it a real photograph?

Not a new one. It's a photo-style picture in the look of a black-and-white film portrait, made by an AI image model from the photo you upload. Nobody comes round with a camera, and it's ready in about a minute.

Does my photo need to be black and white?

No. Upload any colour photo; the black-and-white look is made from it.

Will a black dog or a white cat lose detail?

Side light is kind to both: it shows the shape and texture of a black coat and gives a white one shadows to sit in. A photo where you can see their eyes clearly helps most.

What does it cost to try?

Nothing. Add a photo and you see the finished picture in about a minute, with no account and no card. Seeing it is free, and we'll email you the full-size file free too. You only pay if you choose a print, mug, card or other product.