Do you have a strong preference for one of these?

[Mike Buckley]

I thought I was done posting my photos of Iceland until I decided to change one of them shown below. If you have a strong preference for one of these two images, I would greatly appreciate it if you would please explain why. I probably would not include both images in a slide show and I don't have a strong preference for one or the other, so I'm hoping to gain at least some sort of consensus about which image most people might strongly prefer, if any.

Thank you!

#1



#2

[JessiM]

I like the second one the best. It shows how massive the waterfall actually is and the person looks so calm just sanding there, where in the first the person is doing something with their hands and is a little distracting. Beautiful pictures by the way! Makes me want to take a trip to Iceland!

[terrib]

My answer probably won't help you. When I reflect on the pictures, I agree with Jessi. The second picture really gives a hint as to how massive that fall is and the power of the water. But I have to say that when I first paged through the images in the lightbox, my gut reaction was that I liked the first one better. It's hard to explain gut reactions but I think it's because the first tells a story of a photographer and you get their story along with the beauty of the falls and the rainbow. In the second, I think my gut thought the person was a distraction - probably because they are so small.

So I'm like you, undecided. I think maybe in a slide show where people won't have a lot of time to reflect, I'd probably go with my gut. If it was a gallery showing, maybe I'd choose the reflective one.

[Mike Buckley]

Thanks for the helpful feedback, Jessi and Terri.

[davidedric]

Both great images, but the first one gets my vote. I had to think hard why, but I think it's because the "rainbow" seem to illuminate the figure, and draws them as a bridge into the falls.

[Daisy Mae]

Second for me Mike. The perspective is amazing and how clever of Mrs B to be wearing a yellow jacket.

[Arlen]

Second one for me too, Mike, for the same reasons that Jessi and Sharon described.

[darknight]

lovely images mike, ok, i prefer the first one because of the perspective of the ground/rocks and it looks almost like the rainbow eminates from the yellow coat, but overall i prefer the second one because of the size of the falls

[Dave Humphries]

Hi Mike,

Second for me if the subject is the rainbow and person, the waterfall provides the backdrop.

With the first, I find myself distracted by the parallel diagonal lines formed by shadow and rock lower left, then the opposite diagonal of the rainbow, then the dark area top left.

It may, by careful selective processing, be possible to obtain a result with more colour in the rainbow in #2, it isn't quite as saturated (despite all that water <groan>) as the first.

[FrankMi]

Hi Mike, For me the second one is a much more powerful image and tells a compelling story.

In the first one the subject (the way I look at it) is the person, but I can't tell what is going on. The falls is an interesting backdrop and the rainbow is a distraction. The image seems to lack harmony between the three main elements.

In the second one, there is no doubt of what is demanding attention. The rainbow and lone figure add complimentary interests that bring my attention back to the power and majesty of the falls.

[Brownbear]

#2 by far... it conveys the feeling of standing at the base of the falls... ie; the awed feeling, power of the falls, sense of the being so small next to mother natures wonders...

[arith]

#1 because of the strong yellow jacket and rainbow.

[Polar01]

I like the second image better, because of the curtain of water falling, that is how it looks when standing there in front of it.

Cheers:

Allan

[Sergio M.]

Second image for the same reasons as many of the above.

Serge

[Carl in Louisiana]

Second Photo. If you start at the bottom right the larger rocks form a half circle leading the eye back to the left into the photo and the person in the yellow jacket, from there to the rainbow and all of the water fall as you go up. Awesome power of creation on display! In the first one, being closer up, the rocks seem to have no pattern to them and the falls don't have that WOW factor like the second one, plus the water falls has a lot more to it to see and hold my attention in the second one.

[Mike Buckley]

Thanks to everyone for such specific comments! A particular nod to Dave for the following:

With the first, I find myself distracted by the parallel diagonal lines formed by shadow and rock lower left, then the opposite diagonal of the rainbow, then the dark area top left.

I have always found that to be the weakest part of the image. I'm a little surprised that you're the first and, so far, the only person to mention it.

It may, by careful selective processing, be possible to obtain a result with more colour in the rainbow in #2, it isn't quite as saturated (despite all that water <groan>) as the first.

I used a polarizer to mazimize the saturation of the rainbow in both versions. During post-processing, I then selected the rainbow in both versions and increased the saturation. Despite that I increased it twice as much in the second one as in the first one, there seems to be simply less color to bring out in the second one.

[pnodrog]

My answer probably won't help you. When I reflect on the pictures, I agree with Jessi. The second picture really gives a hint as to how massive that fall is and the power of the water. But I have to say that when I first paged through the images in the lightbox, my gut reaction was that I liked the first one better. It's hard to explain gut reactions but I think it's because the first tells a story of a photographer and you get their story along with the beauty of the falls and the rainbow. In the second, I think my gut thought the person was a distraction - probably because they are so small.

So I'm like you, undecided. I think maybe in a slide show where people won't have a lot of time to reflect, I'd probably go with my gut. If it was a gallery showing, maybe I'd choose the reflective one.

My preference is for the second one but as terrib points out the first may tell more of a story. Interesting two similar photographs but one tending towards Photojournalism the other being more pictorial.

[kdoc856]

Number 2 for me , Mike. I love the perspective and delayed realization of how small the human is. Plus, he has clearly sighted the pot of gold

[Mike Buckley]

Thanks again, everyone!

Kevin, he is a she. She is my wife. She has not sighted the pot of gold. Instead, she is the pot of gold...actually better than the pot of gold.

[graynomad]

Not that you probably need another opinion by now but IMO there's no option, #2 is the one.