Which crop?

Shot this HDR today in the Adirondack Mountains and can't decide which to have printed. Which do you think is better?

Thanks!!

As my jaw hits the ground... honestly I love the second.
This scene is amazing Rick. I am so jealous as I will not get to see anything like that this year.

Thanks Johnathan! Finally got to escape work for a couple days, too bad fall comes and goes so fast!

Nice shot. I would crop in-between the two. I would crop from the bottom like in the second image, but not crop any from the top, like the first image.

First..rule of thirds applies better in this shot

Robin

We like the second one.

Rick & Christine

I think I might even go a bit tighter and print as a pano!

robinchun said:

First..rule of thirds applies better in this shot

Robin

Click to expand...

This always a struggle with these types of shots, especially when trying to make it somewhat panoramic. Having something in the foreground helps.

Eduard said:

I think I might even go a bit tighter and print as a pano!

Click to expand...

I tried and like the foreground too much! Here is another shot, more of a pano

All of them are great, to print I'd choose the 3rd one.

cnyram said:

I tried and like the foreground too much! Here is another shot, more of a pano

Click to expand...

Although this fits closer of the 3rds rule, I do not like it near as much as that second shot. IMO the larger rock is what gives it character and depth. The rule of thirds is all about balance and for me the rock does that with out question. also because neither the horizon or the waters edge is dead center it helps to draw the eye into the image.
Great work Rick, this is by far one of the best images I have seen in a long time.

Thank you all for the comments!

Thanks for all the input. I ordered a 15"x30" of the second shot for now (crop is 1:2). On it's way from nations. After cropping it was still at 10mp, hopefully it will still be sharp at that size.

I vote for the second one, too. The eye is drawn into the whole photo. Awesome shot, Rick.

Right on Rick, I bet it looks great. one of the bad things about the internet is that many images just look better on paper, and with this image being so nice I bet it looks amazing in print.

Recieved my prints today, Nations did a great job! Really like the Lustre prints. I gotta stop enlargeing to odd sizes, custom frames and mats cost a fortune!

I'd go for the 3rd as well, lovely pics all of them.
You were lucky to have an autumn we had a fairly miserable summer, then just as the leaves were starting to change we had a weekend of gale force winds and heavy rain blowing most of the leaves off the trees, now a mini heatwave! LOL
But I digress, love your pics

theregsy said:

I'd go for the 3rd as well, lovely pics all of them.
You were lucky to have an autumn we had a fairly miserable summer, then just as the leaves were starting to change we had a weekend of gale force winds and heavy rain blowing most of the leaves off the trees, now a mini heatwave! LOL
But I digress, love your pics

Click to expand...

Thanks for the kind words! I'm going to have that one enlarged soon also, I need more walls!

Why not print ALL of them? Even thought it would be a great burden, I'll even volunteer to give one of them a good home.

Strictly out of the goodness of my little pea picken' heart!

Carolina Photo Guy said:

Why not print ALL of them? Even thought it would be a great burden, I'll even volunteer to give one of them a good home.

Strictly out of the goodness of my little pea picken' heart!

Click to expand...

I'll make a deal with you, I'll send you a print for your wall. You in turn create a painting from the print and send it to me for my wall, we both win!