Tough choice but I'll vote for #2.

Looks like it's on the sensor.

Thought I'd try monochrome.

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Thank you for the information. I have been wanting to try focus stacked panoramas for a while now. I'll give this method a try.

This little Anna's hummingbird has ben hanging out on our front porch lately.
Canon 7Dii hand held at 1/800 300/2.8 with 2X converter.

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If you use Lightroom I would start by decreasing the green and yellow luminance and saturation then make adjustments to contrast, vibrance, whites and blacks as a start. Other software will have similar adjustment but may name them differently. My example is nowhere finished but it is where I would start.

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Here is my take.

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Could not agree more. Sometimes, especially for macro, that means everything manual, including focus. For landscapes it can be any combination of manual and automatic settings for exposure and focus depending on what I am trying to accomplish. If conditions are constantly changing and I want to be prepared, just in case, I'll leave it in a fully automatic mode. Most often I will select my shutter speed and aperture and allow the camera to select the ISO. I set the camera to do back button focus allow the autofocus system to do its work then compose the shot; sort of hybrid auto manual way of working. As Richard said, "just do what ever it takes" and don't worry about the labels.

When I look at photographs I my eye tends to be drawn first to the lighter parts of the scene. As you point out the sea wall also leads the eye there. What I find most appealing about the image is the way the bright waves and sky show rising parallel lines with the dark tones of the rain cloud and seawall balancing each other and keep me looking at the rest of the scene.

I have three artificial lighting options that I use for macro. Most often I use the macro twinlite with two small flash heads that mount on the front of the lens allowing slightly better modeling that with a ring light. Sometimes I use the shoe mounted flash with an 5" x 8" diffuser that is usually used handheld with an off camera shoe cord. Least often I use a set of three small LED lights two of the cube variety and one that is about twice as large. I only use them indoors when I want to use multiple lights; key, fill and back light.

# 11

A place I'd like to visit.

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Thanks, I like it too, well done.

I like #1 better. I would suggest that the two hidden flowers on the left have a few bright petals that could use a little dogging and some additional dogging along the bottom edge. A very nice composition.

Really Right Stuff plates for the 5D have a QR socket and a strap attachment slot. I have a Peak Design hand strap and use a Black Rapid sling strap with a RRS QD connecter that I can instantly attach or remove from the plate.