Hi Ric. Nice exposure on this image with good detail in the blacks. Good eye contact and a lovely clean BG. I would like to see more canvas at the bottom and to the right as I find it to be a little tight and also a bit more on the left. If yoou had used a larger F stop the tail would have been in focus . But overall a very lovely image with good lighting. Thanks for sharing.
Exposure for a black subject well handled here Ric with just enough eye-shine to prevent the dreaded 'empty socket syndrome' ;). Love the soft BG that sets off the subject nicely. Bird images with the tail in one corner and the head in another get that cramped feeling - often as a result of a fixed lens when the subject alights too close to the photographer. Judy Lynn's suggestion of some extra canvas would overcome this short fall.
A much more attractive Black Bird than our English import that we have down-under:)
Enjoyable image. I agree with a bit more real estate below. I would have been perfect if the tail feathers weren't obscured by the leaf. But we take what we can get.
Sharp and good detail. Agree about more space. Not really a nit but was thinking that some fill flash would give you more detail on the belly and lower part of the bird. Well done.