Flash photography became quite a mystery to me once I became more serious about photography. Even when I was using point-and-shoot, most of my flash photographs looked awful.
What I’ve since learned is that the smaller the source of light, the harsher light it will produce.
Here is a tip:
Using an adjustable flash, in a suitable indoor environment, you can bounce the flash off the walls to create, essentially, a very large light source, which will soften the light considerably. I’m using a Canon Speedlite 430 EX II, which is a solid choice if you only need a single flash.
Here’s the first shot I took with the flash facing directly towards my subject:
On this second one, I’m bouncing the flash off the off-white wall and ceiling.
What a remarkable difference!
The problem with shooting flash straight on your subject is that it doesn’t create any shadows. As Syl Arena points out again and again in the Speedliter’s Handbook, “To create interesting light, you also need to create interesting shadows.…If everything in your photo is lit evenly, then nothing will stand out”.