This is Finnigan, a cattle dog mix, keeping an eye on our front yard from the comfort of his club chair. Both photos taken within seconds of each other on an evenly lit day with the same camera. The upper photo is a flash one, the lower photo was exposed using natural light. I ask collectors to send me non-flash photos for portrait work. Oftentimes they don't understand what I'm asking or why. Here is a little explanation: 1. Flash photos cast unnatural shadows, often masking the actual edges of the animal. Look at the space behind Finnigan's ear and head - see how his ears appear larger and harder in the flash photo because of the shadow? See how the space on his chest, between his legs, is equally shadowed as that foreleg reaching towards up? 2. Flash photos reflect off the surface of the subject, and do not allow for coat texture, nuances of color, or skeletal structure to be visible. There is far more information in the lower photo, and I can ...