Which mountain stream works better?

[Peeb108 4]

Both images from same location but shot differently. Preference?
1.

2.

The lighting changes slightly, but I was really interested in blurring the water more in the second version. My family is split as to which is better. Thoughts?

 

[snowbear152 83]

I think I'd fish in the first one.

 

[Derrel]

I prefer the first one I guess...but neither one looks processed quite exactly right...somehow the tones seem mapped out not quite naturally. The shadows look too dim in the firstm, and the clouds too bnright; in the second shot the shadowed areas on the rocks look too bright...but the shadows along the river and trees look too dark.

 

[tirediron]

I prefer the first one I guess...but neither one looks processed quite exactly right...somehow the tones seem mapped out not quite naturally. The shadows look too dim in the firstm, and the clouds too bnright; in the second shot the shadowed areas on the rocks look too bright...but the shadows along the river and trees look too dark.

^^This. It looks to me like you've been a little too heavy-handed with the highlight and shadow sliders.

 

[snowbear152 83]

I do like the silkiness of #2 but I think cropped on the upper part would work better. The gap of slow water between the really white stuff and the bit at the bottom is a distraction for me.

 

[Derrel]

As far as the water blurring effect: shot #1 looks VERY close to ideal by my way of thinking about how I like to see streams rendered...I've been a fisherman for a loooong time; too much blurring looks contrived and fake-ish to me...you did WELL with shot #1 on the water's rendering. Shot #2, the water, at bottom left, looks too bouncy...just, well, weird...

 

[Dean_Gretsch]

I prefer #1 as well because of the water looking a bit more realistic.

 

[Peeb108 4]

Here is #1 ALMOST straight out of camera (resized for web and upped exposure 4 stops- grossly underexposed....)

 

[Gary A.]

I echo Derrel.