Is Whiskers ready for her close-up?

From the strange wirehaired dog in Jan Van Eyck's Arnolfini portrait (1434) to the first daguerreotypes in the 1800s, pets have long been featured in significant family portraits. But these days, pet pictures are practically de rigueur -- like school photos for the kids -- which is good news for a generation of local photographers and painters who delight in working with unpredictable, treat-eating models.

Bev Sparks was early in the wave of Seattle-area dog-shooters. After more than 10 years photographing dogs practically full-time, she knows how to get her furry models to deliver. The results are mostly black-and-white, documentary-style images -- with a special emphasis on paws, schnoz and tail -- captured on the subjects' home turf or favorite romping spot. Sign a model release for Sparks, and you're likely to show up in a book. She has three to her credit so far. (Cost: $175, plus $35 per roll of film. Remember film?)

A former vet tech/vet assistant, J. Nichole Smith of Dane & Dane Photography approaches her subjects with a photojournalist's eye and a fine artist's polish. She'll travel to the location of your choice, but her West Seattle studio is a pet-friendly and dry (no rain delays) alternative. Working mostly in color, Smith has snapped dogs, cats, horses, donkeys, birds, rodents and snakes. A Dane & Dane shoot ($199 and up) could land your lil' buddy in the pages of CityDog magazine, where Smith is a regular contributor.

Emily Rieman creates formal pet portraits by bringing studio lights into your critter's den. The photographer for My Puppy's First Journal (Sasquatch Books, 2007), Rieman prefers simple backdrops and lighting that accentuates an animal's sculptural grace. While she orchestrates a sitting carefully, she also embraces "spontaneous developments" that allow a pet's individuality to shine through. (Basic fee is $220, with prints purchased separately, from $20 to $40.)

Pet photographer Jaime Pflughoeft of Lower Queen Anne takes a different approach to this enterprise. A former dog walker with a degree in animal behavior, Pflughoeft transforms digital photos into pixel paintings. Imagine your cat with pop highlights superimposed against a vibrant field of color surrounded by, say, butterfly silhouettes. Supply your own images or begin with a half-hour photo session by Pflughoeft ($50 in Seattle only). Giclée -- archival inkjet -- prints range from $85 to $375 on paper and $160 to $925 on canvas.

In the color-saturated, whimsical paintings of Nancy Schutt, dogs dance, smile and daydream of sheep and convertibles. The Madrona-based artist/animal activist begins with a home visit, interviews with key bipeds and sketches from life to uncover her subject's "essence." The painted image usually includes a few significant elements, such as the ocean, tennis balls or potted nasturtiums. Schutt's cozy backyard studio is no ivory tower -- she welcomes input from her clients as the painting evolves. (On plywood box or canvas, from $450 to $6,400.)

Susan McAliley, who lives with three dachshunds, paints pups in two styles. Her rich, layered "classic" portraits (like old Van Eyck) are painted on gesso board and finished with a signature varnish. They take one year to complete and can include an in-home photo session ($500 to $2,000 for one pet). Her modern-style works, painted from photographs, take only one month and feature more opaque paint, obvious brushstrokes and no varnish. (Framed on an 8-by-10 canvas, they cost $215.) Look for McAliley's booth -- and discounts -- at the Seattle Kennel Club Dog Show, March 8-9.

Once you've got your portrait, there are lots of opportunities beyond frames, albums and iPhones for showing off the fuzzy looker in your life. Add movement and a soundtrack to still images with the help of Terri Augustyn, owner of Kirkland-based Producing Memories. Augustyn calls on 12 years in television, film and marketing to create keepsake videos that can be the rockin' backdrop for a pet party or the moving centerpiece of a memorial. (They begin at $195 for five minutes featuring 40 photos.)

Copyright © The Seattle Times Company