Video: How to get clean backgrounds when shooting birds

One of the toughest challenges for any aspiring bird photographer is getting consistently clean backgrounds that don't distract from your feathered subject. 

In this video, Jan Wegener shares a few techniques you can use to improve your chances of getting a clean background.

His main piece of advice is to be conscious of the background when you're shooting, and understand that it as much about your mindset as it is about the gear and technique. If you're thinking about the background when shooting, you will take shots with better backgrounds in them.

Often to do this is just a matter of taking a step to the left or right to exclude a distraction that can make or break your background.

Wegener's other main tip is to consider your focal length and the background. If the background is close to your subject, it will be much harder to get a clean background, while if the background is further away, you'll have a much greater chance of getting it nice and smooth and defocused.