Black Swan - Which do you prefer?

[photolizard]

I snapped a few shots of a black swan at Henry Vilas Zoo in Madison, WI. I was carrying light glass with me and had to rely on cropping for the image I was looking for. Now I'm not sure what that is. Which do you prefer?

1.

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or

2.

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[Allan]

Number 1. The eye is the key in this image as it gets kind of lost in 2.

 

[wizzard0003]

Very hard to choose but I'd probably go with the second...

 

[Rob0]

the composition of the second is much stronger

 

[FotoWerkz]

I like the 2nd one best.

 

[Butlerkid]

I prefer the second.....but agree with Allan that you need to bring more attention to the eye......perhaps using vignetting, saturation, contrast, clarity, etc.

 

[frdjohns]

My preference would be for the portrait orientation, but with the crop a little less severe, so that a bit more of the swan's back shows.

 

[photolizard]

Number 1. The eye is the key in this image as it gets kind of lost in 2.

Thanks, Allan. My wife likes this one better.

Very hard to choose but I'd probably go with the second...

Thanks, William. I appreciate your vote.

the composition of the second is much stronger

I like the 2nd one best.

Thanks to both. I was originally leaning toward the second.

I prefer the second.....but agree with Allan that you need to bring more attention to the eye......perhaps using vignetting, saturation, contrast, clarity, etc.

Thanks for the tip, Karen. I may try some vignetting.

My preference would be for the portrait orientation, but with the crop a little less severe, so that a bit more of the swan's back shows.

Thanks, Fred. I may play around with that.

 

[rick_reno]

I like 2 best

 

[cre8foru]

I like number 2. I think the red in the beak and the eye bring the viewer right where he needs to be.