You may get some of your best people pictures during staged or semi-staged events — school plays, ballet class performances, or wedding ceremonies, for example. You'll often be asked not to use flash photography at these same events, but don't let that worry you.

Chances are, the people onstage may be out of flash range. Few point-and-shoot cameras can light anything beyond about 20 feet with their built-in flash units. What's more, the stage may be pretty well lit, and flash may be unnecessary to get the shot.

However, your camera may think that flash is needed because the area around your seat is often quite dark. So you should set your camera to flash-off mode. When you take the shot, place your camera on something secure like a tripod (or an empty seat) and gently press the shutter button so that you don't jiggle the camera.