Your Built-in flash - Getting the most out of it
Virtually every P&S digital camera today has a built-in flash. Most of the time, you'll probably let the camera figure out when to use it. For better flash photography there are times when you should be taking control of it and forcing it on or off. The one thing to keep in mind is there is a limited distance that the camera's flash will work within. On most cameras that's between 10 and 15 feet. Remember also that just because your zoom will reach across the room, your flash won't. Double check your manual to be sure how far you can shoot.
Flash Symbols
You should see a Lightning Bolt symbol on the back of your camera; it's for the flash. If you access the flash menu there are also settings to force the flash on (solid lightning bolt) or off (circle and a line thru the lightning bolt) and a setting for redeye (looks like an eye). Use these as needed.
Sometimes it's useful to force the camera's flash on when shooting outdoors. This Fill-Flash helps reduce shadows and fills in, for instance, under the brim of a hat. Sometimes you'll need to force the flash off, like in a museum or when you are so far away that the flash will have no effect on your picture.
Macro pictures will also usually turn out better with the flash off. Being so close to your subject, the flash usually 'blasts' it too much. A layer or two of tissue over the flash helps tone it down if you need to use it for your macro shot.
One way to get a little more Umphh out of your P&S camera's flash is to set your camera to a higher ISO like 400 or 800. This makes your camera more sensitive to light and effectively 'stretches' the capability of your flash.
If you shoot a lot of flash pictures it is important to have good batteries. Your recycle time will be reduced with stronger batteries. With flash pictures you'll always wait a few seconds for the flash to recharge before you can take another picture. Because of the recycle time you'll never be able to use the Continuous shooting mode. The poor little flash just can't keep up.
External and Slave flashes
There are Slave flashes available for digital camera users. Slave units are triggered by the flash on your camera and can add more light to your scene. These are generally used to add extra light to the background of a scene. Digital SLR users can go a step further and get an addon flash that sits on the camera or use sophisticated multiple flash setups for covering an entire room or shooting portraits. An external flash that sits on the camera will run between $100 and $400 depending on your camera system and your power needs. Having the extra flash allows you to shoot further and gain more control of the light.
