G'day Chris,
Can I ask why you think you might need a bracket and off-camera flash? What do you intend to shoot with it? Indoors or outdoors? Don't take this the wrong way, but I really think you need to understand flash a little better before you go splashing out on RRS brackets etc. It's likely a waste of money. A flash bracket will not change anything in terms of bounce flash light,.
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/...d.php?t=171657
Bounce flash off the ceiling is very effective and should suffice most of the time. Obviously depends on the ceiling height and colour. You can get shadows on faces because the light is coming down on them. Play with the angles of the flash to prevent this, or you can use something like the Lumiquest ProMax or Quik Bounce systems that allow most light up to bounce off ceiling, but reflect some light forward to fill those shadows to a certain extent. There's other similar products like Demb Flipits, but I mentioned the LQ ones because I have them. The Quik Bounce is good because you can use it to bounce off the ceiling in both portrait and landscape orientation.
If the ceiling is too high and/or your flash hasn't enough power to be able to bounce, look for a wall. Other than that, treat it as though it's outside.
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/...d.php?t=177622
For outside, you'd be using your flash directly, and again, most of the time the flash in the hot-shoe of your camera should suffice. Red-eye shouldn't be a problem with speedlites because the light source is sufficiently off-axis.
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/...d.php?t=750517
Just my 2 cents. If you get really experienced with it and understand it more, you'll know if you need a bracket.
That being said, I have an off-shoe chord I'm about to advertise because I simply don't use it. I also have a flash bracket that I'll be selling, but I got it for macro rather than portraits and don't think it'd be the style you think you want.
I can't recommend strongly enough having a good look/search/trawl, through the POTN flash/lighting section. Search there for brackets, diffusers, bounce flash, etc. Wealth of information. Also check out Strobist.com, THE speedlite lighting mecca.
Now onto gels. Thoroughly recommended reading. Be prepared to stick velcro on your flash, or use one of
these cinch straps.
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/...&highlight=gel
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/...d.php?t=415671
http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03...o-correct.html
http://strobist.blogspot.com/2009/08...ing-small.html
http://strobist.blogspot.com/2007/05...your-gels.html
http://strobist.blogspot.com/2008/10...elopments.html