What to do when you are bored with lock down......make a 'Reflection' pool, to photograph birds!

As a wildlife photographer, I am always looking to find a different view, or angle to photograph my targets.  Water, always adds something to pictures, but sadly, I do not have a pond in my garden.  So, what do you do, when the weather is awful, no wildlife about, and too dull to photograph much?.......make a 'Reflection' Pool! 

This Greenfinch, was soon on the scene, tempted by the sunflower seeds.

A reflection pool, is any body of water that will show a reflection in its surface and can be used to enhance the shot of any chosen target.  In my case, I wanted to photograph the birds in my garden, from a different perspective and I needed it fast, cheap and effective!

With the shops still closed due to the Corona Virus, this meant searching the shed and garage, for any materials that might allow me to produce something that would work. It did not need to be big; just large enough to allow me to frame the subject and show its reflection in the final image.  Mainly, I needed something that would hold water and could be mounted off the ground on a level base.  

What I found, was an old rear parcel shelf from my last car, a supermarket crate, some timber off-cuts and some small stones!

It might be 'Heath Robinson' in design and construction, but it works!

Only half an hour to find the 'FREE' items and just 10 minutes to put it together, make it level and fill it with water.......not  bad!  

With my 'hide' in place and the camera aimed at the right position and optimum angle to show the subject and its reflection, it was time to get some shots..........

Blue Tit

Male Chaffinch

Greenfinch.

Female Chaffinch

Blue Tit.

Amazing, that being bored, can motivate you to achieve something.  This has been a great 'prototype' and I now have plans to develop a permanent (and more aesthetically pleasing) feature in the garden.  Hope you agree, that it was worth doing, and that the shots are a little different from normal.