Not the best framing but I took this before the getting some critiques. Not the most natural setting as well. However this the full frame. Someone stated that you can add canvas. How is that done? I guess would add a little to the back and more to the front.
Camera Model Canon EOS 50D
Firmware Firmware Version 1.0.3
Shooting Date/Time 03/17/09 13:47:23
Owner's Name
Shooting Mode Aperture-Priority AE
Tv( Shutter Speed ) 1/250
Av( Aperture Value ) 6.3
Metering Mode Evaluative Metering
Exposure Compensation 0
ISO Speed 200
Auto ISO Speed OFF
Lens EF300mm f/4L IS USM +1.4x
Focal Length 420.0mm
Image Size 4752x3168
Image Quality RAW
Flash Off
FE lock OFF
White Balance Mode Auto
AF Mode One-Shot AF
Picture Style Standard
Sharpness 3
Contrast 0
Saturation 0
Color tone 0
Color Space Adobe RGB
Long exposure noise reduction 0:Off
High ISO speed noise reduction 3:Disable
Highlight tone priority 0:Disable
Auto Lighting Optimizer 3:Disable
Peripheral illumination correction Disable
File Size 19076KB
Dust Delete Data No
Drive Mode Single shooting
Live View Shooting OFF
AF Microadjustment -3
Good self-critique Zenon. You have controlled exposure very well without blowing the whites in the face. The BG is good, you just need more of it. You can use Photoshop to increase the canvas size and then clone parts of the existing BG to fill the new canvas. I use quickmask to select areas of BG which I then copy. You have a more or less featureless BG so that makes your life easier.
A couple of other points- it's much better to have the light source behind you rather than to one side like you have here. This would produce more even light over the bird without the body being in shadow. Also, optimally you need the bird to be looking slightly towards you making eye contact, rather than away.
Good advice by John. You could always place some natural perches close to your feeder and wait for the birds to land on them. This way you can control the light angle, BG, and distance for framing purposes. Keep it up!
Learning how to add a little canvas is a great skill to learn! Take a look around the forum and there are many references and examples on how to do it ... as well as Artie's and Robert O'Toole disks. In this example, you have a relatively easy background to work with, and it would be a walk-in-the-park.
I agree that it might be stronger if the bird turned his head /eye a few more degrees towards you.