Hi Paddy
I like the 3rd pic, as you say the foreground, my wife Janine likes the 2nd and my daughter Kelly favored the 1st.
We're a mixed bag
Not to sure of this processing you are talking about. I was keen once, way back using a fully manual Pentex (I think). My pleasure was in taking as natural a shot as possible and relying on it's inherent beauty.
Cheers
Richard