Dogs in Cars 4.2

Great image. Powerful and strong work, this is what I like here.

Well, I have to comment because I've look at this photo 6 times today and need to get some other things done. 

Not sure if my eyes are tired or my brain is fuzzy but it took a while for the image to register. When it finally did, I was delightfully surprised. I'm still not sure exactly what I'm looking at but I can see it's a dog and I believe it's in a car - because you said so and you are a truth teller of the nth degree.

I'm not sure why you went with such a strong sepia contrast. More dog-like?

And yet another shot that makes me think to myself "Gee, I wish I'd shot that!"

Cheers ~

Alberta

I join Albera by asking why is the sepia tones. I think that B/W would have been better. Anyway I like the dog in car, looks like the window is full with rain drops? I would have  toned down a bit the FG leg as it  is the first element that jumps to my eye... that said it is a nice addition to the series.

Thanks Gunnar, Alberta and Pnina,

Originally my decision to increase contrast and go with a deep sepia tone was a response to having tried numerous methods to get a tonality that I liked without any success. I suppose that originally I was trying to hide the blandness with some toning. While continuing to work on the file the sepia grew on me.  I was not then, and still am not now, 100% certain about  the result so I posted the image to PN to see if I could get some feedback. In that regard you have all been helpful. I appreciate your time effort and candor. 

The photo was originally taken through the wet and dirty window of my vehicle across several feet of teaming rain and then through the dirty and rain splattered window of the vehicle the dog was inside of. All of this obfuscation flattened out the already dull overcast light and made the tones as clear as mud. I liked the way the overlain texture of the rain tended to make the image look a bit pointillist  but did not like the flatness which resulted. 

After reading your responses I have gone back and removed the sepia layer as well as burning in the dogs leg and softening and lowering the contrast a bit.  It is still too fresh for me to know if this is an improvement and I will admit that I do like the original iteration.

This is what resulted ?

Looking again on both versions ,and going to see the series of dogs in cars,I think that the dog in the sepia has a better shap ( after lowering the bright FG leg) the B/W looks a bit flat. but looking at the series I think that this one, as one of the series is very nice, but  as one alone, you have so many stronger ones there... what do you think?

Sepia looks better to me ...a cute dogs face  silhouette is lovely but the rest of the picture is not very effective nor nice.

Pnina,

Thanks for the follow up, regardless of whether this image works or not, I think you are correct in that it has to be viewed within the context of the series.

Tatjana,

Thanks for your honest and well considered opinions ....always a help.