Hawaii photo, please C+C

Took these photos just after sunset with Rev GND filter. I personally like the first darker one better. I considered trying to stamp out the clouds, but it left a weird smudge (I don't have photoshop, so I can only get rid of stuff by using retouch on iphoto).

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com …/24344071@N00/8​159262194/

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com …/24344071@N00/8​159230171/

both are great! I agree the first one is slightly better.

The second one wins for me, much more detail and interest in the foreground, very nice.

I actually agree with Mike. I like the clairty of the water on this one. I almost think if u had the sky from the first on the second pic that would look sweet ( A little blown out on the second )

Number 2 is the better of the pair... The foreground is much better, the back seems a little washed out. Number 1 seems to dark everywhere. If you could blend number 1s sky with some brightening into 2s foreground be a bang-up shot!
But if you are simply going for one or the other, number 2.

Foreground is too dark in the first one, especially since you include so much of it.

Where was that? I'm curious if I was there recently.

I prefer the second, but I say a little more pop in the sky of the second and a bit more crop of the sky like the first.

Nice composition.

I like the 2nd one, first one is too dark.

I prefer the 1st image. I think it's more dramatic, and the lack of detail in the rocks/water at the very foreground compared to the clarity of such in the second shot leads the eye straight to the large rocks, through the water and to the beautiful sky.

Just my personal taste, though.

I also agree the sky in the 2nd shot is a bit blown out. The second shot might benefit from a reduction in exposure (or added recovery) in the sky, and possibly a crop of the sky itself so there is less of it. I think that might create more of a focus on the foreground with the clear water and small rocks, which I do find interesting, but I find they compete with the overall landscape composition.

So for a landscape I prefer the first image, but I think the 2nd image with a bit of work has merit on its own to highlight the interesting detail in the foreground.

I like the first one because of the lay out of the rocks.
The nice path of water that brings your eyes up to the sunset. The light area of the water in the middle gives the image a "subject" so to speak.

The line up of the rocks with the water works well.

I would do some very light, lightening of some of the rocks. Like the natural spill of light would do. I would also do a slight lighten of the rocks in the clear water to reveal more of the rocks under the water. Just a tad.

A very nice capture.

I also want to add that in the second one, the rock in the front seems to demand my attention as if that is the subject of the image. The layout seems off.

The pictures were taken at Kae'ana point (Northewestern tip of Oahu, Hawaii). Thanks for the comments and suggestions. The reason I like the first shot better is because the water level is higher, so there is a more silky look to the water running through the rocks. I've tried to enhance the shadows in the first pic, but it makes the glistening rocks in the middle of the picture look too bright and unnatural. I'll probably do a little more PP before printing them out though. I might try to combine the pics later on too - once I buy photoshop or other PP software.