Greetings. The family is still sleeping off Christmas dinner so I have some time to post a bit. I like the first shot, but I agree that there needs to be more contrast. I like Scott's rework, but I wish there were some white areas for my eye to grab. Was this shot in color or B&W? If color, maybe post the original so we can play with it, if that's okay.
The second shot, at first I had Scott's reaction as well, but then I noticed his pants and the other man's complexion, so I figured out that he was either a mime, a juggler, or some other kind of street performer. When a shot makes the viewer pause and figure it out it's not always a bad thing.
The third shot I agree with the previous comments.