bdk Loc: Sanibel Fl.

when I looked at the pix, the first my eye was drawn to the mountain, the second as others have said my eye was drawn to the flowers.

paulrnzpn Loc: New Zealand

There is quite a lot going on here, in both examples.
What 'good composition' is is a very subjective thing of course, so you may disagree with anything I suggest and I won't take offence.

Firstly though, I can't say with 100% certainty what I would do myself without being at this location to try out various POVs before settling on one.

Okay, here we go:
1) I'd frame it so that the dark join in the jetty (or "dock") is not in the frame. And worse still, that dark join being so close to the bottom margin in the second example makes it even more of a distraction for me than it is in the first image. Of course, you could also crop this out, but for me personally, I like observing these sorts of things when I shoot my photos and I try to avoid them when I'm out shooting in the field. Nothing wrong with cropping instead though. Or another alternative is in PS to paint over the lower part of the jetty using some of the upper part. That is not difficult to do and to make it look geniune, but some people don't like to do that sort of editing, and I understand that opinion.
2) I would probably paint out the bit of tree in the top-right corner. Replace it with more of the blue sky. As mentioned in my first point though, I would have tried to get a POV so that the tree was not in the frame in the beginning as well, but I know that is now always possible.
3) I would have moved a little so that the jetty was aiming directly towards that centre hill over the other side of the lake. It's pointing a little to the left of the hill in both cases.
4) I'd have got done lower so that the jetty appears to protrude a lot farther into the lake.
(I think that by doing both points 3 and 4, it would probably make for a stronger focal point.)
5) I'd like to have put on an ND and done a long exposure with this scene. Or being there when the day's light is low. (Or an IR filter might have made it a very magical image, but we don't all have one of those, myself included.)
6) The amount of sky that fills the upper secion of the frame, well, I think maybe it's a bit too much in the first image and not quite enough in the second image. But it's not a big issue IMHO. However, this is always something I put thought into every time I shoot scenes such as these.
7) As for the foreground plant with the white flowers, it's far better in the second image IMHO. Being mostly cut through in the first image doesn't work for me really. And I like how the foliage leans into image and towards the jetty. That is good. If it had been leaning outward instead then that would not have worked so well for the composition.
8) I'd try tone mapping the image in post, but not too severely. And I'd also try converting it to B&W as well. Just to see how it turned out. It might not work.

Also putting a human or three on the end of the jetty would have been marvellous. I know, you can't always do that for any range of reasons, but a man in a black suit and with black umbrella, or a standing nude lady viewed from the rear with her arms up towards the sky, or two or three children sitting on the end on the jetty, would have turned it into something a whole lot better, made it more interesting, and given it a really strong focal point. But I understand, sometimes when I am in places like this and taking some snaps I am also usually wishing I had a human to add into my scene. None of us can always do it, and it usually needs some pre-planning, or some very good luck. But if you're really keen and don't have a real human, then there are other ways, such as taking a scarecrow, or a suitably dressed mannequin, everywhere with you.


To finish, I think the second image is the better one overall. And it is a nice peaceful scene and quite well captured.

pecohen Loc: Central Maine

Thanks for all your comments. They raise some issues I'd not even thought about.

flyboy61 Loc: The Great American Desert

I like them both, but to me, #2 works better...the dock leads my eye to the wooded edges, which funnel to the "mountain".
Why the quotes?
My Mom was from Ellsworth, and when she lived with us in California, she always referred to the little foothills as mountains!

pecohen Loc: Central Maine

Word usage does change somewhat according to the landscape. What pass for rivers in the west would be called streams here in Maine.

flyboy61 Loc: The Great American Desert

DanF Loc: Wichita, KS

Of the two, I like the second one best. I like the setting, but for me, the dock is a bit overpowering in the shot and makes the photo bottom heavy. If you have easy access to this place, I might try a more sideways shot, getting the dock at more of an angle and a little less dominant in the scene. Would still give you the leading line it needs. Just my opinion!

John N Loc: HP14 3QF Stokenchurch, UK

I think #2 offers more opportunities, just for myself I cropped to place the jetty in the left hand corner removing the bouy in the lake and took out the foilage in the top right. Does leave it a bit short on the flowers though.

Jack 13088 Loc: Central NY

I much prefer the second and would suggest darkening the pointy rock between the deck and flowering bush. I find it quite distracting.

repleo Loc: Boston

I think these are two completely different amages.
In #2, the flower combines with the jetty to create a foreground that stops the eye there. It is a pleasant balance but doesn't really carry the eye to the mountain they way you say you intended even though the mountain is bigger than the first one.
In #1, the bit of flower creeping in from the edge is a definite no-no. Although the zoom maximizes the lead-in of the jetty it diminishes the mountain into insignificance. I would suggest cropping to a portrait format and even cutting off some of the jetty foreground to increase the the size of the mountain. The vertical format will reinforce the lead-in and the connection between the jetty and the mountain and eliminate other distractions.

photogeneralist Loc: Lopez Island Washington State

Can you make a mask and slightly soften the focus of just the bush? That might diminish the compositional importance of the bush and reinforce the leading line of the dock. However there is always the risk of making the dock too much the "hero" of the photo.

photogeneralist Loc: Lopez Island Washington State

Can you make a mask and slightly soften the focus of just the bush? That might diminish the compositional importance of the bush and reinforce the leading line of the dock. However there is always the risk of making the dock too much the "hero" of the photo.

gvarner Loc: Central Oregon Coast

I think the bush in #2 adds more interest and sense of place. I don’t see it as a distraction. #1 is too sterile.