Joe,

This to me looks like shadow cast by flash. The shadow falls on anything behind your subject, be it the couch or the wall behind; from the camera's position, these shadows are all close together and may give the impression of an aura right next to the subject. Judging from the image, your flash was on the right of the camera.

Frans Waterlander
pixographer

Thanks Frans,
I thought of that. The flash is on the right of the lens but center of the on-camera flash is only about an inch and a quarter from the lens and I would not have thought that this would have been enough to cause the problem.
If that is the problem, the camera manufacturers have failed in the design. It will be hard to get around this on a point-and-shoot with no hot-shoe.
Joe

Joe, try setting the flash to - the ambient light in manual mode, if available.
if the in camera flash is adjustable, you can get a bracket, slave trigger and use a hot shoe flash off camera.

Actually the camera manufacturers have not failed in their design as they provide an on camera flash in the small camera body. It's up to you to learn how to make it work, or choose not to use the flash.

Though not as spontaneous, you can get better results using a tripod than on camera flash.

Personally I would never purchase a camera that didn't provide a way to get the flash off the body away from the lens.

Quote:

If that is the problem, the camera manufacturers have failed in the design. It will be hard to get around this on a point-and-shoot with no hot-shoe.

Thanks people.
I only wish the flash was adjustable and of course the Fuji Finepix Z1 has no hot shoe and no tripod mount. Point and shoot and all!! But it does work.
I'll learn to live with it. A flash activated remote flash would be good.
How about this shot taken with NO flash and in Auto.
Thanks again,

Joe,

That is one great, colorful picture. I love it!

Frans Waterlander
pixographer

Thanks. Pantomimes are fun.

Since camera manufacturers seem to be avoiding flash shoes and the like, you may want to consider a "slave flash", which can be set almost anywhere, and fires when your on-camera flash goes off. These are generally much brighter and will usually overpower that little flash "aura". And if you have a couple, you can actually get pretty good lighting: not that flat lighting from on-camera flash!

Also, if you don't get too far from the flash unit, often they can be set in hidden places within the picture area (say, just behind a pillar up in front of a church) and still fire! Two set up on either side of the altar will give far better lighting than any on or near camera flash. For this you need to experiment.

I wish I could name a brand, but I'm using 2, 20+ year old "phoenix" units - and one just died!

-Erik

Thanks Erik. I'll look for one.
Joe