Excellent lighting. The DOF/blurring further back looks a little fake but does make the carriage pop from the background. I am a little puzzled as to why you want to bring more attention to the carriage if the focus is really of the birds. However that said the overall picture is a very pleasing one.
The carriage in the background is distracting (because is interesting in itself). I know the "outcast" theme is a bit boring (some old "something" separated from the group) but it is a good fit in this case.
Wow, beautiful shot! At first I was mesmerized by the old fashioned horse and carriage... the man in the top hat look kind of lonely and out of place in today's society, so I assumed he was the Outcast. Then when I noticed the lonely pigeon in the foreground, the picture seemed to illustrate two outcasts to me. This photo has a lot of character.