The Secret Ingredient for Dynamic Bird Photos
Backgrounds make all the difference
Most of the time, when we photograph birds in flight, we simply capture an image of a bird against a blank blue sky. Maybe if you’re lucky, you’ll get a cloud or two in the background, too. If you can capture flying birds in front of an interesting background, your shots can be improved dramatically. Take this shot, for example. While I do like the sharpness and blue/gold color contrast, it looks like the pelican is frozen in space.
At least in this shot, the clouds offer up a little more interest than a blank blue sky:
Cluttered backgrounds can be problematic, too. While there’s absolutely nothing wrong with a good environmental shot, when the subject and background are close together, you just don’t get great isolation, even with a fast lens. Such is the case in this photo of a tricolored heron. It was just so close to the vegetation that the shot looks a bit disheveled, at least to me.
Here’s a better shot. While it’s clear that there are trees in the background, they are so far away that they are rendered completely out of focus. This situation allows for the subject isolation we want in a nature shot, but also includes some context as to the setting.
The Best Backgrounds Are Dynamic
It’s not often you can combine an animal subject with a dramatic background in a natural setting, but it does happen. When it does, the results can be simply amazing.
The southern California coast near San Diego happens to be a place that’s fantastic for bird photography. The high cliffs offer a vantage point where instead of pointing up into the sky, you can point down at the rocky shore below. The backgrounds can include waves, spray, and the coastline. These dynamic backgrounds make for interesting photographs that are so much more than just plain blue skies.
Here’s a pair of Brandt’s cormorants on the rocks near La Jolla, California. The surf was heavy that day and I waited for a wave to crash into the rocks below them. The sea foam creates an energy to a shot where otherwise the birds themselves aren’t really doing anything interesting.
When you can combine a dynamic background with flying birds, things really start to get good. Here’s a royal tern looking for a landing spot on the rocky coast as the waves provide some background drama.
A pair of Brandt’s cormorants returning to their cliffside roost as they pass over the ocean below:
The unique vantage points offered by the cliffs in La Jolla make it one of my absolute go-to locations for bird photography. While you won’t encounter too many rare species, the photos you’ll get here are absolutely different because the backgrounds are so dramatic. Backgrounds give our subjects context. Good backgrounds are the difference between a nice photo and a “wow” photo.
Even the pelicans look better when set upon a backdrop of the blue Pacific!
Join me in San Diego, January 18-22, 2026 to master the art of photographing birds in flight!
I'm always learning from you--thanks!
all of these photos are amazing, but that's just me