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32 | OHCC LIVING | DECEMBER 2023 | Whenever you go to a museum or art gallery you may be allowed to take photographs, but without flash. I've written in the past about avoiding flash because it can have unpredictable results and, in some cases, can ruin a picture, especially the built-in flash on your smartphone. But when is it appropriate to use flash? Here are some examples: • Low light. e most obvious time to use flash is when there isn't enough natural or ambient light to properly expose your subject. In dimly lit environments, such as indoor events, nighttime photography, or dark interiors, a flash can help illuminate the scene and subject. Most newer smartphones have sufficient exposure compensation to brighten up almost anything without flash, but an older DSLR may need some help. • Fill flash – sometimes in bright sun your subject will come out as a silhouette, which is probably not what you want. Using a flash can help prevent underexposed shadows and blown- out highlights. e accompanying photos, one with fill flash and one with no flash, illustrate the difference. • Portraits – sometimes flash can provide flattering, even lighting on the subject's face. It can reduce harsh shadows and make the eyes have catchlights. • Red-eye reduction: when shooting in low light, the use of flash can help reduce the likelihood of red-eye in your subjects by causing the pupils to contract. • Backlighting: when you have a strong light source behind your subject, using flash can help avoid silhouettes and provide illumination on the subject's face. Experimentation and practice are key to developing proficiency in using flash. And if you get to the Metropolitan Museum or the Louvre and feel the need to use flash… don't. ey might kick you out. e Ocean Hills Photo Club is open to all residents, and photographers of all skill levels are welcome. We meet most months on the third ursday at 1 pm in the Lamia Room, but be sure to check the schedule for changes. Annual dues are $8. December's meeting will be a holiday social with light refreshments. Written by: Jim McDonough, jamespmcdonough@gmail.com, (760) 593- 9994 Photography e Butterfly Sanctuary is now closed for the season, as of the end of November, while the Monarchs and their friends winter in their favored eucalyptus groves. It will reopen in January. However, the SMB Club will be more active than ever in the coming months. is year was a tremendous success in advancing our mission, with the Monarch population in our garden more than three times what it was last year. is means that we can expect an even bigger surge next year, with another tripling of this year's numbers, since Monarch have memory of where they are born and return to those locations. at is all great news, except the increase in demand means that our Sanctuary and the milkweed in it will no longer be sufficient to support all those butterflies! e solution to that problem is expansion. We are delighted that the Landscape Committee has approved the expansion of our work to other parts of our community. e SMB Board and volunteer workers have been planning what that will look like, and we will be implementing those plans in several areas beyond the Butterfly Park between now and the return of the Monarchs in February. Expansion means something else too – we need more volunteers. Our wonderful group of workers has done a terrific job of keeping our garden beautiful throughout the year, but we will need many more to be able to keep up with our butterflies' floral demands. If you are able to help us in any way – by being part of a planting team, helping with weekly cleaning, doing some watering, looking for caterpillars, or any other activity, please let Myra Esler know at mke6717@gmail.com. You can volunteer for as much time as you can spare and times are flexible – anything you can do will help. All new volunteers will be given an orientation. e fun part is how many of our neighbors we get to meet. We are at a crucial stage of our journey to help save the Monarch. e first steps have been successful and very rewarding to everyone involved. e next phase will help to make OHCC a key contributor to the Monarch butterfly's resurgence in California, and a model for others to follow. Written by: Myra Esler, mke6717@gmail.com Save the monarch butterfly

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