Bred, like show said, shut down the flash. If your using a point and shoot camera your a bit limited, but if your using something with some adjustability, use a tripod or something to stabilize the camera, then put your ISO settings between 400 and 800 while slowing down your shutter speed (let the shutter stay open longer). This will give you a natural picture, without the flash hot spots, but cannot be done while shooting free hand. The tripod is necessary for stabilization while that shutter holds open.
If your using a point and shoot, disregard all that, use your auto setting, but disable the flash, again using a tripod or setting the camera on a stationary surface for the photo.