[lefty-lie-spy]

It looks like you have some serious sharpening going on in-camera, or the flash the is set too bright. Try to tone that down a bit, or put a diffusion filter on the flash. You might want to buy a set of umbrellas, boxes, and lights and have a go at studio photography. It can be pricey, but your subject matter deserves it. You’ll be amazed at the results you can get. I’ll dig up some of my work and show you want I mean.

[SWAMPSNIPER]

I usually use the bounce flash, just didn't feel like digging it out tonight. The ceiling is bright white, makes a good reflector.

When I'm not lazy I can set up a couple of remotes with optical triggers.

I've found that stuff that stays on Photobucket tends to go soft as time passes so I start on the sharp side. Pbase is better but not 100% I wish I could store Tiff files online.

[lefty-lie-spy]

These are promotional photos I did for a band here in Tokyo. The first is in the studio, the second on the street at night. The soft studio lighting makes all the difference in the world for certain static subjects. I hope you'll get the opportunity to give it a go.
This is a grunge rock band called Absolute Zero from Tokyo. They play in a bit in the style of Nirvana and Pearl Jam.