Retro analog effect/summer grasses

[Lireal]

Nikon D3100 (kit lens)
Shutter: 1/160
Aperture: f/6.3
Expose bias: 0
ISO speed: 100
Manual focus
No flash


Please give the image a good look over before you read my questions- they are partly about what you notice/what you don't as the viewer compared to the photographer.
This image is edited. It was a bit too cold/gray for my liking so I warmed the colours up, added a retro analog kind of effect with colour leaks and noise. I also blurred the background to create more focus on the seed heads on the grass (did that work? Is that what you notice?).

First: I spend more time editing this one than I normally do. Does it look over-edited? Should I tone it town a bit (the noise most noticeably, but also the rest of the shot)?

The little Bokeh'd blob just off center in this photograph, it's a boat. Can you tell?

I highlighted around the grass heads. Is it noticeable? If it is, is it too distracting from the rest of the image?

I'm still learning! Anything you notice about the image (even if it isn't an answer to the questions above) and want to comment/critique, please do!

[Doug Sundseth]

Your attempt to focus attention on the grain worked pretty well for me, and I didn't notice over-lightening around the grain.

The colors you chose aren't really my style, but I think they work with your image.

I don't think the photo looks notably overprocessed for its style.

I didn't know that the blob was a boat until I read your comments, but I found it distracting in the current composition. It's light and right in the middle of the field of view (and right behind the focal grasses), so it draws the eye in a distracting way.

Other stuff:

The photo looks like it's rotated a bit clockwise from level. This might be caused by the curved river/lake bank, but since those are so far out of focus, the effect is pretty much the same as being off level.

I think you need a much tighter focus on your subject. I would recommend cropping fairly tightly around the grasses.

I think have the boat out of focus is fine with your subject, but I'd try to get more detail than you have here. I'd also move your viewpoint so that the boat is not immediately behind the primary subject. With that, I think it would provide a bit of interest and depth without distracting too much from what you want your viewer to see.

HTH