Flash me!

I've been working through an online photography class, and one of the topics covered is about using flash.  The course talks about off-camera flash which I didn't have with me when I took the pictures below, but I did have a chance to play around with the on-camera flash and settings to see what I could get out of it.

I think there are plenty of times where the on-camera flash makes a picture look ... flat or like a 35mm disposable took it.  But I think there are also many situations in which the on-camera flash can save a photo.

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Take for instance the following two photos:

Now neither of these photos is a perfect photo by any means, and I'm sure a little 'shopping might help.  But the main point is the little bit of flash that enabled me to get more of the cactus on the left side of the photo.  Instead of the flash I could have increased my exposure, but I might have lost more of the detail or colors from the blurred background.  I'm not happy with the way the flash looks on the little blooms or the loss of the interesting shadows; however, those can be fixed.  The point here is just that I learned I can get better detail and balance sometimes with just a little flash.

Something else that I learned:

Both of these photos use on-camera flash, but in the left one there is a pronounced shadow that detracts from the image.  It makes the light look harsh and distracting.  I think that while not a prize winner, the photo on the right looks much better because of one simple thing - I flipped the camera over.  Instead of the light coming from the right, the flash shot from the left, combined with the natural light, and filled in the shadow.

Remember, I am not a professional or advanced photographer so take what I say for what it's worth.  But just thought I'd share with you what I learned from a few trials and many errors.