While many experienced photographers love using flash and use it quite a lot, many amateur photographers are less comfortable with this particular piece of equipment. Such feelings are perfectly understandable when you consider how tricky it can be to learn how to use flash well.

Flash can greatly enhance photographs because it eliminates blur due to motion and, when shooting with color film, it has the same color balance as daylight. But it can also ruin pictures. It only lights the scene for an instant, so it doesn't allow you to adjust the lighting or the scene to your taste. Unlike existing-light photography, you won't know exactly what the effects of your flash will be until you see your pictures. In addition, some camera manufacturers place the on-camera flash too close to the lens axis, which causes red eye when you're shooting people or animals. It also creates harsh shadows and high contrast and often gives you overexposed subjects in the fore-ground while leaving background images cloaked in darkness. However, all of these problems can be overcome with some practice, thought, and extra equipment. If you spend the necessary time to learn about flash, practice using it, and most importantly, get the equipment necessary to use it well, you'll realize that flash can be the best and most consistent lighting for your photographs.