The background of the third picture was in a hotel. Lights were hanging straight down all around a tree in the lobby. I knew instantly that it'd make an awesome out-of-focus background. Just wish I had more time; this was the only shot I managed to get :( As for using a flash, the built-in flash is pretty much all I have for right now. I have a Canon Speedlight 199A that I used with my old AE-1, but I would have to play around in manual mode for that to work (not the best if you're limited on time for a good shot). Would that be worth checking out?