MarkBarbieri
Semi-retired
- Joined
- Aug 20, 2006
...Normally, I shoot entirely without the flash. I have preferred this as I like the more natural light pictures without the foreground bright and the background so dark you can't see anything...
Sounds like you are using your flash in Auto or Program mode. That doesn't work well for direct flash.
The popup flash on cameras is terrible. It's not that they aren't made well or don't work properly. The problem is that a small light source coming from very close to the camera rarely results in attractive light. Unless it was the only way I could get the shot, I wouldn't use the popup flash on my camera for anything other fill-flash.
If you can, get an external flash and use it indirectly. Ideally, you can use it off of your camera and use your popup to control it. If you don't have an assistant (aka spouse), you can bounce the flash. Nearby neutral colored walls are best. Ceilings are also useful.
Learn to control the power of your flash. If you leave it in full auto mode, your camera will use it as your primary light source and your background will look bad. The easiest technique is to switch to manual mode, set your shutter speed/aperture so that the meter reads 2/3 stops under, and then let the camera use the flash to get the proper exposure. That gives you a reasonably bright background but makes your subject a bit brighter.
There are gobs and gobs of other things to learn about using flash well. The Strobist blog is probably the best source of information. The basics - indirect or off camera and control the power of the flash relative to the ambient light - will get you a long way down the road towards better flash use.