Take charge, don’t let the camera dictate when you need artificial light. The flash is not meant as “standard operating procedure”. It’s a last resort when you “must” get the shot at your girl friend’s birthday bash.

If you don’t turn it off, the flash pops up at the least provocation to rob you of the subtle, intimate moment that motivated you to pick up your camera in the first place. It blasts the scene and makes it look ordinary.

So turn the darn thing off and set yourself free. Most amateur photographers have their ISO set so low (at ISO 100) that they need a lot of light to take a picture. In low light the flash kicks in to light the scene but ruins the ambiance.

Set your ISO to 1600 for starters and enjoy greater flexibility about where and when you can shoot. Your camera will automatically adjust the aperture and shutter speed for the available light. Even more importantly you’ll create images that are more about why you picked up the camera in the first place. Show the love, not the flash.