My Ol Boots

[hminx]

Three different processing s of the same shot, value some opinions on what ( if anything ) works.

[Greg McCary]

I like the first shot the best, maybe a slight crop from the bottom getting rid of the out of focus area. Number three is ok just a bit to much grain.

[NKP68]

#1 for me. Tells a story of a long relationship of protection and comfort that has come to its end. Now discarded in a mud hole after outliving their usefulness. Technically; a tighter crop removing some nonessential background and some foreground. Maybe if they were back a bit further we could see more of their reflection in the water.
Thought provoking image. Very nice.
Ed

[Anbesol]

#3. The tonal artifacts really hurt 2. 1 and 3, there is something strange going on with the mound behind them.

[jetrim]

I see where you're trying to go with 2 & 3 but they just aren't working for me. I think if you want the "old time" look, just cut the saturation by half, in the first one.

[snoid]

I like #2.
Looks like something real, in an unreal place.
If you could blur the hard gradations in the background it would look better.

[hminx]

Thanks Greg, I tried cropping it a bit tighter but I'm not sure if it helped, and yeah the grain is a bit over the top.

thanks Ed, these boots and I have spent some considerable time together

Anbesol I think the issue with the background is due to this shot being taken hand held, elbows and knees in the wet gravel. So I think what you are seeing there is a bit of camera shake, I should have found a board or something to sit the camera on.

Thanks Jet, to tell the truth I'm not really sure what effect I wanted to get with this one.

Thank you Snoid.

This was a muddy puddle in a gravel pit which with the weather we are having at the moment should still be there, if not somewhat larger, so I think I might have another crack at this.

[draymorton]

Def #3. I like that one a lot, though it's a bit too noisy. Love the boots, too.