Giddy up

[MattBurt]

This wagon is often at a local music venue I shoot for so kids can take rides. A couple of ladies who are old friends pretty much abducted me for my first ride on it last night. I was reluctant but once on it the scene began to unfold in front of me. The moon, clouds, and the wagon came together around this crusty old cowboy and I grabbed a few shots. Several were blurry due to the motion of the wagon but this one came out sharp.
I processed it a little heavier than I usually do and I like how the treatment goes with the scene.
Thoughts?
IMGP7405-Edit by Matt Burt, on Flickr

[brandtb]

 I would worry about getting the subjects/composition right first - then worry about processing. Understandably you shot these on the fly but be that as it may. You have three zones...one a cropped shot of a wagon driver with hat from behind and part of his team all pointing to a edge (?) of the frame...none of this is really interesting. Maybe if you shot lower and a little more sidelong so you could get at least part of the drivers face and the top of his hat above the edge of the hill so it didn't get buried. Then the zone of the trees on left and hill to right...none of these are really interesting either. The sum of these parts is just not greater...and the HDR-style processing won't effect the sum as well.

[MattBurt]

Thanks. I agree 100% on the composition vs. processing point and I'm not too attached to this processing. It just had a grittiness that says "Old West" to me.

I'm more partial to the composition than you (obviously). I thought the less interesting pieces framed the point of interest pretty well, providing some leading lines too. I agree his face would have made it better. I got some with his profile but they were blurry from the lurching wagon.

Maybe I'm too emotionally tied to the shot to be impartial but it appealed to me. This is why I seek other opinions!