Flash.... or not?

On the message board we've been talking a little bit about how to take the best photos of your projects. Lighting is key, and I wanted to share an example of how different your layout can look on the computer screen when you use, and don't use, the flash on your camera.

This happens to be one of the rare times that I actually prefer the photo taken without the flash. There are a couple of reasons for this, one being that the heritage photos and vintage-looking papers lend much better to the softness of a photo taken with no flash. The other reason is that the photos themselves are originals and the photo paper used then does not photograph well at all. Even without the flash they look a a little grainy; much more so than they appear in reality.

This next photo was taken with the flash, of course standing back as far as I could and using the zoom. While the flash brightens the colors in the papers nicely, it completely changes the look of some of the embellishments as well as picks up those funny little spots on the photos (that will almost always happen when you are photographing 40-year-old photo paper). Some of the dimension is lost as well. My title is much less defined, and while I did not intend for it to be focal on the layout (hence the red on red -- yes I did that on purpose LOL) I do want people who will be viewing the layout online to be able to read it.In the end it all comes down to personal preference. Just as every project you create is different, how you photograph them will also vary. No matter what you do, some amount of detail will be lost in a photo, but by paying attention and following a few guidelines you can ensure that your readers/viewers will be seeing your beautiful work as you intended it.