I went to the Riparian Preserve at Water Ranch (RPWR) in Gilbert. I haven’t been in a while, and it’s always a great spot to go. This time of year the weather is nice, and we have a variety of ducks and shorebirds. I got there at about 7:00. I wanted to get some shots when the sun is just rising and the water is golden colored, but I got there too late for that. I’ll have to go earlier next time.
I tried out a bracket that I got a couple of years ago to raise the flash on the camera by a few inches. The bracket is a Stroboframe Quick Flip 350. I usually bring my ‘Better Beamer’ flash extender, which works nice for lighting in situations where the bird is in bad light, but has a disadvantage of sometimes causing an unnatural looking ‘red eye’ effect on the birds. I can remove the red-eye with post processing of the picture on the computer, but it doesn’t always work very well. I haven’t used the bracket because it is somewhat bulky and adds weight. My camera with the larger lens (Canon 100-400 mm) is about 5 lbs, and the bracket adds another 0.5 lb. The added weight wasn’t bad, but the bulkiness did make it a little awkward to carry around. However, it did help reduce the red-eye effect. Of all the pictures I took with the flash on (I only turn it on in lighting situations where it’s needed) I didn’t get a single red-eye, which is a big improvement. I haven’t decided if I will make it part of the regular gear I bring, but I learned that it does help.
I didn’t get any great shots or new birds, but there is always a great variety at RPWR, and it’s a fun place to go.
