I think they are both great.. love your images. the picture of the landscape with the boat and lake is a different colour than the one in the portfolio I prefer the more muted tones
For the second image you need to soften the light more so it makes a nice gradient on the metal and not a hot spot, and you need a light shining on the crystals to get a nice sparkle
I think its a beautiful image, it would have been better if you had a tripod but I still really like it. is the horizon straight ? looks like it is tilting to the right a bit. and the second image is much better
Self portraits are always difficult especially when you have to use your hands to pose and use a timer. Taken with my trusty 15-85mm at 85mm :)
self portrait by Allen Cheshire, on Flickr