For the birds

Consider your surroundings before you press the shutter, says Roddy Llewellyn

Whenever you take pictures of birds, it is worth looking at your surroundings to see how you can get the most out of your photos. Try to get yourself into a position where few disturbances will impinge on the frame, like branches of trees or other obstacles. Shooting from a position with a clear view of your subject will produce rewarding results.

Also consider the positioning of the sun: having it behind you will help to lift the colour and detail of birds. Look at the backgrounds, too: a contrasting colour or backdrop is a great help to make the bird pop from the image. Try to find colours other than greens and browns, which tend to make images look quite flat: the yellow of this field (above) is highly effective.

This image of a bluethroat singing in a rape field is a great example of how considering your background can produce a stunning shot. The intense yellow contrasts superbly against the blue.