Chances are, it is just a small oversight that is preventing your camera from working properly. Check the following to make sure everything is OK:

1. Are your batteries installed properly and charged? Check and replace them if necessary. It is always a good idea to have a spare set of fully charged batteries handy when you use your camera. (Note: Always replace all the batteries with a fully charged set. Only replacing some of the batteries results in a group of batteries with different charge levels. This can lead to unstable camera operation and shorter battery life.)
2. Are you using the correct kinds of batteries? Check your camera's user manual to make sure the batteries in your camera are the right type.
3. The contacts between the batteries and the camera are dirty. Remove the batteries and, using a clean, dry cloth, carefully wipe the batteries and the camera contacts to remove dirt and other foreign particles. Then replace the batteries in the compartment.

Take a moment or two to make sure your camera is set properly to take pictures:

1. Make sure your lens cover is open.
2. Check to see if your storage device is properly inserted into the camera.
3. Make sure you have enough space available in the storage device for another picture. (It is always a good idea to keep at least one extra storage device with you at all times.)
4. If you are taking indoor photos using a flash, make sure that the flash is fully charged. Most cameras have a flash indicator that tells when the flash is ready and when it is recharging.
5. Make sure you are in the right mode before taking a picture. (Most cameras have a "Take picture" and a "Display picture" mode that you need to set.)

Flash photography is pretty easy using today's modern cameras. Still, there are a few tricks you can learn to take the best possible photographs.

Avoiding "Red Eye"
"Red Eye" occurs when your subject's eyes have trouble adjusting to the change in lighting caused by camera's flash. There are a couple ways to correct this. First, if your camera has a "no red eye" flash setting, use it when you take flash photographs. This causes the flash to blink rapidly before the camera takes the picture, thus enabling your subject's eyes to adjust to the light. If your camera does not have this feature, use an image editing program to fix the problem after you take the picture.

Avoiding washed out pictures
Most professional photographers try to avoid taking pictures with the flash pointed directly at the subject. This is because the flash often creates unwanted shadows and washes out details of the photograph. By supplementing the flash with other light sources, and by diffusing the light through large screens, you can prevent this problem from occurring. But for most of us, this is an expensive and complicated procedure.

Shooting through glass
If the subject is behind a glass or other reflective surface, try not to point the flash head on. The light from your flash will most likely make your subject appear unclear, and will certainly fill your picture with an unwanted bright spot. You can avoid this by shooting these types of pictures at an angle. For best results, try shooting at greater than 60-degrees.