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It's a nice detail shot.
i think Willie#s and Ivor's mods look more dynamic because of the diagonal, though I admit my first thought wasa panoramic crop as suggested ny John.

We appreciate the description of your processing, and it's somehting we'd like to see from more people who post in the Critique Gallery.
It's usually small adjustments that are needed and you've done a good job, but, as others have said, you can go a little more.

Opening up the shadows is good, but often I find you hen need to take the Black Level down just to have an anchor to the histogram and avoid a washed out look. A contrast adjutment can often be requiored to add some zing - again just a little, and my favourite method is to use Cuives as you have more and finer control.
Of course, these adjustmenmts could be applied just to the centralarea of the image where the vegetation is, to make it stand out from the relatively neutral looking wood.

Keith

Black and white, literally.
This extreme treatment works for me on this scene.

Gentrification

Fascinating Leo. it looks real in the main image.
Keith

Welcome from me too Mike.
Thanks for explaining the technique you used and what you wanted, that helps us in giving you appropriate and relevant suggestions.

My initial thoughts were this is a bit low in contrast and on the dark/muddy side, and visually confusing. As John says, yu need to show him off.
Full marks for trying your set up, though keeping things simple here would hzve given a stronger image.

John's mod addresses my brightness concerns.I'd have gone for a Curves adjustment to much thw same end.

Before I read Moira's comment I was thinking one flash with a long exposure, so you would have one clear view of the drummer and movement to show the energy from using a longer shiutter speed. How long exactly depends on the amount of movement of the drummer and his size in the frame, so there's some experimentation to be had. That said, your current choice looks ok.

Something else you could try is have your flash set to multiple flashes, or stroboscopic mode, so you get a multitude of arms and drumsticks with hopefully a reasonably defined person. Try a 10 Hz setting for starters so you'd get 10 flashes during your 1 s expposure. It'd need the guy to have a relatively still body but plenty of arm movement so it'd require close copperation between the two of you, as well as persevernce., Shoot, review and adjust as you feel necessary.

If you have any similar images you can upload one or two as modifications here, just so we get an idea of what you got from the session.

Keith

Nicely captured amusing shot.

More power to them.