2) Cut the flash to create mood
I try to never use flash when photographing children. As well as being very distracting it also ruins the atmosphere that natural light can give. When working on magazines I used to have situations where I was forced to use flash and tried hard to make it look natural, but now I love capturing the varying moods of available light.
Most cameras today come with a flash built in. This gives about the worst lighting that you can get. It flattens the image and usually shows up every pore and pimple, causes red eye and is extremely unflattering. If your camera allows it, you should switch off the flash setting and try to hold the camera as steady as possible. You will probably be surprised at how low the light level can be and yet still produce sharp images - and the effect will be much more pleasant.
Try practising some moody portraits and see how you get on.
Flash would have ruined the mood of this photo of Frederique
