FLASH HELP PLEASE!!!!

I have been taking pics now for about 2 years but am just now getting into event portraits. I don't know the first thing about flash accessories other than I have an external flash that attaches to the top of my camera that I use occassionally. I'm going to be taking portraits at some upcoming events (pageant, dance, etc.) and I need to know EXACTLY what I need to purchase (as low cost as possible) for lighting. I will have a decorative lattice backdrop. If you could help me (and please be specific) I would really appreciate it. Thanks!

Have a look at the Lumiquest Softbox. They are available cheaply from here .

Sto-Fen Omnibounce are good too.

So do I need some type of external flash or light? I'm not sure how much light I'm gong to have. The pageant pics will be on stage so there should be sufficient light...but I'm not sure about the dance pics.

That depends almost entirely on the distance from your camera/flash to the subject.

You'll almost certainly need a powerful flash.

Fitting any diffuser (like the Lumiquest/Sto-Fen products) will reduce the effective output of your flash by up to 2 stops, which means you need to be reasonably close for it to have much effect. Again, it'll depend on the power of your flash, and distance to subject.

If you are shooting in a stage/theatre type environment you may need to use available lighting. That probably means you'll need a fast lens. In that scenario I use my faster zoom lenses (DA* 16-50mm & 50-135mm 1:2.8 ). If I can get close enough, I use my 50mm 1:1.4 or 1:1.2 and ISO up around 800.

It might help others contribute if you tell us what camera & flash combination you have.

You might not even need a flash if you want to capture the mood of the event.