I love this- even before I read the description, I knew it was good. You can feel it in the type of debris on the boots, the very fact of the boots, and in the way we look at our own feet through a camera. Thank you for your service, and for this wonderful photo that reveals so much character. I had an art teacher that taught me, "if you have to explain it, you didn't do your job"- well, by that standard, you definitely did your job as a photographer! Knowing the context is subsequent to the experience of looking at this image. Maybe it's the fact that the debris seems white, on black work boots w/ levi's, and the floor beneath is clean by contrast. So much character in these boots. This is my favorite photo thus far! (On page 10...) I'm sharing it on facebook!