Photoshop is a life saver sometimes. I took these pictures the other night, so you can get an idea of what a raw image looks like, then after some processing.
Original:
Edited:
You can see how the original is washed out from all the lighting, I also was using my truck to light up the passenger side of his car. I was using a very very fast speed on my camera that only picks up ambient light and nothing else. I know your only using a point and shoot, but those can still go a long way when you familiarize yourself with the settings. Your on the right track though!