Why Not To Use a Flash
One thing everyone harps on about general photography is that you should avoid using your flash. This is very true.
While I was browsing some of my photos of the Pilgrim Monument (Province Town, MA) I came across a perfect example of a stone sin I took two pictures of. One picture the flash happened to go off, and the second I made sure it was off.
The flash washed out all the detail. The text of the sign was almost entirely unreadable. With no flash, it took a little more time, and I had to be steady, but the picture is clear and has great color.
Sure, a flash has a plethora of uses. They are used with staggering frequency in portrait photography, or really any art photography that involves people. Also, professional Ebay auctions have items captured using either a flash. However, almost none of these are using direct camera mounted flashes. If people are using camera mount flashes they are probably A) with the press and need to guarantee light for each shot, or B) doing some sort of sports photography which may require additional light for very fast shutter speeds.
This probably glosses over details that should probably be filled in about flashes and their uses, but it gets the point across. Besides, you can check out these links for more details:
Short Courses – Using a Flash/Studio Lighting
