The Ruff & Royal Journal

Notes on photographing, painting and printing animals

Written by the people who print the work and check every proof. Mostly practical, occasionally sentimental.

How to Photograph a Black Dog Without Losing the Face

Dark coats swallow detail in the wrong light. Here is where to stand, when to shoot, and what to avoid.

Ruff & Royal · July 2, 2026 · 1 min read

5 in Framing

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Framing

Framed orders now produce in the EU, which removes customs charges for European customers.

Ruff & Royal · July 15, 2026 · 1 min read

Framing

A small square, a tall portrait, and a wide format for multi-pet commissions.

Ruff & Royal · June 28, 2026 · 1 min read

Framing

A frame is a border, not a feature. Three rules that keep it from competing with the portrait.

Ruff & Royal · May 14, 2026 · 1 min read

Care

Light, humidity, and cleaning products are what damage prints. All three are avoidable.

Ruff & Royal · April 30, 2026 · 1 min read

Behind the Scenes

Scale is a composition problem before it is a printing problem.

Ruff & Royal · May 6, 2026 · 1 min read

Photo technique, style explainers, and the customer stories we had permission to tell. It is the same list as our product updates.