On 26 Dec 2006 22:01:11 -0800, a630 user wrote:

I got a Canon A-630 this week, and seem to have the same problem.

Any pictures taken "close up in Auto mode" look overly bright. In fact,
people in those pictures look like those models in wax museums

As Chuck hinted - the metering mode may be responsible. Assuming
that the A630 is similar to the A620, in Auto mode, Evaluative
metering is used, which probably gives good results if the
subject(s) fill the frame. But if not, the background will also be
used to calculate exposure. Since it's farther away, the flash will
pump out more light, overexposing near objects. The solution is to
use something other than Auto Mode, such as P, Tv, Av or M, which
will allow you to select Center Weighted Average or Spot. I tried
shooting a small object centered in the frame and with Evaluative
metering the subject was grossly overexposed. Using CWA or Spot
metering allowed the subject to get a decent exposure, but the
background was naturally much more underexposed. That's to be
expected when a single flash is used in dim lighting conditions.

Whether it's desirable or not depends on the effect you're trying
to get, and adding additional flashes or other lights isn't the only
way to brighten the background. The A630 has a Night Scene mode
that uses the flash with a slower shutter speed to help brighten the
background. Unfortunately, the Night Scene mode forces the use of
Evaluative metering which can again overexpose close subjects, but
you can get the same effect using Tv or M mode to slow the shutter
speed if Night Scene mode doesn't produce the best exposure.