a reason not to use the flash

Let's take a look at two photos and compare.


My photo, victim to another camera's flash. Notice the performer wincing away from the flash as well.


My photo as I intended it, illuminated by firelight.

The electronic flash does have its place though. Counterintuitive as it may be, the best time to use the built-in flash on a camera is during the middle of the sunny afternoon. The flash works well to fill in shadows under a subject's eyes or a shadow cast on a subject's face by their hat.

As always, there are no hard and fast rules. Sometimes the flash is the only option at night when there is no other light source but you need/want to take a photo of something directly (up to about 10 feet) in front of you. Better to have the photo and have it look a little odd then not to have the photo at all.