Which do you like better...???

[PhotobearSam]

these 2 are so close I can't decide. AND when I think I have made a decision, I change my mind.

So I am asking for your help...

WHICH ONE?
Option #1

Option #2

 

[Dan Murphy]

I prefer the composition a bit more in #1, both are great, Sam.

 

[MarkBarbieri]

I like the second composition better. The sky is blown out in both photos and there is less sky in the second composition to distract me. I love the reflection.

If I were there taking the picture and had time to try to improve it, I'd have tried bracketing the exposure to see if I could get everything I wanted between the edges of my histogram. If I couldn't get the range I wanted, I'd try one of two tricks.

The first trick is to use a piece of equipment called a split neutral density filter. It's darker on one side and lighter on the bottom. If you put the dark side on the top and adjusted it so that the dark part covered the sky, you could get both the sky and the rest of the picture exposed properly. Because of the trees and monorail track above the skyline, this might not work well because parts of them would be darkened as well.

The other trick requires a tripod. With a tripod and a non-moving subject, you could make two copies of the picture, one exposed for the sky and the other exposed for the rest of the picture. There are lots of software packages and techniques that allow you to merge the two pictures together into a single, perfectly exposed picture.

With all that said, I love both of them and wish I'd been there to take them.

 

[photo_chick]

I like the first one better. Since so much of the shot is water, i like having the part that is not even farther back in the frame.

 

[Anewman]

I prefer Option 2 Zooming in got rid of some of the distractions from the sides.

 

[Amy]

I like the 2nd one; zooming in a little got rid of some of the bright/cloudy sky and seems to make the blue "pop" a bit more.

 

[fitzperry]

I prefer #2 as well because the sky looks less blown out (it's a tricky exposure because of the dynamic range) and because the shadow/reflection of the flower bed on the left is kind of distracting in #1. They're both nice though!

 

[Quicklabs]

I like the composition in #1 as well. The monorail draws my eye right to the brilliant mosaic and reflection. Both are great shots!

 

[Gdad]

I prefer the second version- as said- the blown sky in the first takes away from the nice image.

 

[DebºoºS]

I too like the 2nd. More water less sky. Very good shot, thanks for posting.

 

[tinksdad]

I like the first one for composition. I like more of the monorail track and trees, (guides the eye). But the sky is really over exposed.

The second has less sky and the your exposure of is better, although with the huge dynamic range the scene has it's a tough shot to make without bracketing and a tripod.
The water reflections in both are terrific. That said I choose the the second shot!

 

[PhotobearSam]

I really wish I had a DSLR for this shot but I was stuck with my Canon A-40...It's old but does the trick most of the time,.

I can't wait to upgrade.

 

[MICKEY88]

if you don't like the washed out sky, you could always plug in a nice new one with photo shop or paint shop pro

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Although both are nice, I vote for #2 because 1) I like seeing a monorail on top of the track, but not just the track itself - and this shot has less of it; and 2) you can read the sign for The Living Seas. Good luck with your decision!

 

[mommapoppins]

these 2 are so close I can't decide. AND when I think I have made a decision, I change my mind.

So I am asking for your help...

I love them both... I had a hard time deciding too. I think I would like #1 if the monorail was driving(?) past on the rail, but as it it I think I really like #2 best.

 

[Sir Bouncealot]

Why I like number 2 better is that it has less of the tree overhead, and the concrete of the second flower garden sans the flowers on the left is gone too. Now for those of you more experienced than I....if you shot this with a DSLR, would a polarizing filter have worked with the "blown out" sky to deepen the blue, assuming you were shooting as close to 90 deg from the sun as possible? What about film SLR? Thanks! But I still love the photo either way!

 

[KrazyPete]

I like the first one a little bit better. The second seems a little crowded. The first one allows the curves on the sides more space and they direct my eye into the center. The second one seems to be wanting for a focal point.

That's just my opinion though

 

[mickeyfan2]

I prefer the second on. The tree in the front tends to draw my eye and is less obvious in the second. Both are great photos.

 

[jann1033]

hah i said 1, in the minority but i like the fact you can see the continuation of the curves on the planter, monorail and walkway(or what ever that is under the monorail) and the pink thing( person?) isn't so obvious. i am figuring the subject was the trees and reflection in the water? if so and if possible you could maybe crop out some of the big tree leaves to pull up the horizon just a tad and get rid of some of the sky and add a little more of the sky reflection in the water which is very pretty...the sky is nicer in the second one? do you know what you did different?