While it is true that natural light makes photography a whole lot easier to use (most of the time), there are times when you must choose to find another light source, or just plain put down the camera and give up. Many people find flash photography very unappealing and try to avoid it at all costs. This is rightly so, since, if used wrongly, the built-in flashes on most cameras can turn a calm beautiful picture into a promo poster for Tales from the Crypt with red-eye and ghostly white skin.
There is however, an option on many cameras that can allow you to actually control the camera's flash power, called flash exposure compensation. This option can turn a horribly overpowering light into a soft burst that gives just enough light to illuminate the subject well. Since many cameras vary on where this option is, I would consult your manual on how to adjust it. Most all cameras offer flash compensation control from -2 ev to +2 ev. The negative numbers cause the flash to emit less light while the positives will give you more. The subject distance and ambient lighting in your situation will dictate how well this will work for you. Of course, the best thing to do is to find this setting and try it out for yourself. I suggest experimenting with the different EV levels and taking note of how the changes affect the light on your subject.
Have more questions about photography or cameras that you'd like me to address? Let me know in the comments.
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