I'm a amatuer photography and I have a nikon D50. My graduation is coming up and I was hoping to take some photos while I'm there, the event is outside.

So I was hoping that someone could give me some advice on settings and possible equipment that I could use to shoot semi-professional looking photos.

I know about using a flash to down play shadows but how do I use the flash properly so the picture don't look washed out or the face brighter than everything else.

Thanks for the Help!!!