26/06/2026
Do you really need a full-frame camera and a fast super-telephoto lens to achieve beautiful background blur in Birds in Flight photography?
Ten years ago, during a public Birds in Flight photography presentation, I challenged the conventional wisdom that professional background separation was only possible with expensive full-frame equipment. Using real-world examples captured at Milnerton Lagoon and Woodbridge Island, Cape Town, I demonstrated that technique, fieldcraft, subject-to-background distance, and photographic understanding often matter more than sensor size alone.
This updated evergreen article revisits those original images and explores the practical realities of achieving effective background blur using both APS-C and full-frame camera systems.
The conclusion remains as relevant today as it was a decade ago:
Equipment can simplify the process, but technique ultimately determines the result.
Images: At Woodbridge island with Canon EOS 7D Mark II / Canon EOS 6D
Article Source / Reference>> https://www.vernonchalmers.photography/2026/06/birds-in-flight-photography-background.html