Short term - Use the sun as your main light. Use the flash as fill. Main
is off to one side of the subject; Fill is above and behind the
photographer.

Your fill should increase the detail in the shadow created by the main
light, but not be bright enough to create noticable shadows of its own.

Think in terms of light ratio - 1:1 [main:fill] is copy lighting, what
you'd use to photograph a piece of paper. You'll probably want something
between 2:1 and 4:1. Young people can look good in higher ratio light.
Lower ratios are softer, more flattering to less than perfect skin (old
weather-beaten cowboys ...)

The last hour before sunset is the "Golden" hour. The light gets warm &
fuzzy.

Another trick - for that "soft focus" look, stretch a piece of pantyhose
over the lens.

You're shooting with a DSLR, so use the LCD to get the "right" exposure
(right = one that pleases the two of you).

A 50mm normal lens becomes a nice portrait lens on most DSLRs due to the
crop factor. If you got something like a 24 - 70 zoom with the DSLR,
shoot at 70.

Long term - get some books on photography & practice.

black skin reveals bad lighting easier than pale white skin.   look at some
of the magazines and see what you can tell about the lighting, look at skin,
also look at shoes, purses, even sports cars.  How do they light black
people and objects?

Usually they have a very large light source.

Here's a simple glamour light.  Open a door, preferable one that is on the
shadow side of the house.   have your subject step back slowly.  *Just* at
the point you can see a fall off of the light, that's your sweet spot.   use
your flash for a hair light.   This will be as nice as any big glamour light
set up you see in a magazine.

You can find other nice 'sweet' lights in other similar situations.
Overhangs like porches, trees.  Twilight is usually good, late afternoon in
an area where the sun is blocked by a tall building, a hillside, or a line
of trees.

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