Creativity is a great tool.

I've included some comparisons here with the original photo on the left and the final art on the right. They demonstrate how creativity comes into play. Any changes to the background or layout were discussed with the customer and agreed upon prior to beginning the work. Sometimes the best photo is not available, but there can be options using a little creativity and research.

The pup's fur color clearly needed to be defined, and with a little research his true colors were brought out. The red blanket turned out to be his favorite and provided a more interesting surface than his couch.