Question about Flash Lighting...?

Question:

Question about Flash Lighting...?

I'm new to photography, and I am having a heck of a time learning the keys to good lighting indoors. I was at an anniversary party, and was fooling around with flash, and all it did is wash out my subjects and put way too much contrast between them and the background. Even when the background is only 4 feet away, it will be fairly dark, and the subject will be washed out with white.These were candid shots, so there was no pre-planned lighting. Also, even with the white balance adjusted, the photos seemed very... fluorescenty. It was hard to get any warmth out of them. The photos without flash were great, but with flash, they don't look good at all.

I have a Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ20. Its a great camera, but the flash seems so harsh and miscolors my subjects so bad. Is there any way I can change any of this?

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: Any time you have only one source of light from a small concentrated source (a bare flash) you will get high contrasts and dark shadows. If you're indoors your flash will overpower any other normal light sources in the room. It will be as if they didn't exist. With todays digital technology your good shots without a flash is understandable. As far as your subject being washed out it sounds like your flash gave too much light for the distance it was from the subject. Keep in mind that, to a point, that is something you can control. Your camera/flash is too close to the subject for the camera and it's meters to overcome. Without going into all the scientific small details there is a corelation between the speed of light and the speed of your cameras shutter (the part that opens and closes to allow the picture get in when you press the button) and your cameras ability to capture the image. I'm not familiar with your specific camera but from what I just looked up it should do fine with a few adjustments from you. The closer your flash is to the subject the greater the chances of the problems you mention. Back away about 12ft if you can and use the zoom feature to get as close as you want. Diffuse your flash (make it spread out quicker as it leaves the unit) by placing a piece of bathroom tissue (one ply) over it. This is easy to do and somewhat unnoticeable by those around you if you use transparent tape. Make some test shots before it really matters. This is something professionals do all the time. It may take 2 ply tissue...lol Keep in mind Indoor snapshot photography with one flash can be tricky and will never look like professional glamour pics. Just don't expect to get more than you give.