Please help me decide between two choices

I am going to have one of the two photos enlarged to either 12x18 or 16x24, then send it to California in a cardboard tube, to have it signed by the driver, Erik Davis. I cannot decide which one to use. The first one is a bit more sharp, but the second one is more dimensional with a 3/4 type view...but there's the flags painted on the concrete wall, which are not present in the first one. I can't decide if I like the painted flags, or if they are distracting.

PLEASE NOTE- Both photos have been adjusted in DPP. The first photo has been cropped a bit, the second not cropped: focal length on both are 300mm.

Between the two, which one would you pick? I would appreciate your opinion, even if your response is a simple '1' or '2'. Thank you for your opinion.

I'd go for 2

Whichever one you do, crop out the red guard rail...

I vote for # 2.

I prefer #1, but...I'd rather see it cropped so that the red barrier is gone AND so that there is more space to the front of the car. The reasons for #1 is not only that it's sharper, but it also lacks the distracting graphics on the barrier behind the car. Just remember, when cropping, that is a almost always best to leave room for the car to "go somewhere" in the picture.

veritasimagerynw wrote in post #16230266
I prefer #1, but...I'd rather see it cropped so that the red barrier is gone AND so that there is more space to the front of the car. The reasons for #1 is not only that it's sharper, but it also lacks the distracting graphics on the barrier behind the car. Just remember, when cropping, that is a almost always best to leave room for the car to "go somewhere" in the picture.

+1 The second photo, whole showing a better angle, is more distracting and my eyes don't want to focus on the car.

Hmmm...That's two 'votes' for each one. I still can't decide. I liked the flags, and didn't mind them, as it's part of Mid-Ohios logo- but wanted to make sure it wasn't too distracting.

I did crop #2 down to where the guardrail was almost completely gone, then filled it in, just to give me a little bit wider frame. It's still a pretty tight crop for my liking, which would be the same case with the first one even. I am surprised I was able to get the car that big in the frame while taking the photo- I am not very good at panning, but am getting better.

Heres the new #2. I think I can post a third with the first two being just links.

I like #2. The sign doesn't bother me but the red in the left rear wheel does.

I am not even sure what the red thing is. I even looked at their website to try and find a side view that was standing still. I was thinking it was the caliper painted red...but if that was the case, you'd think the front one would be red too.

number 2!

#2 feels more dynamic, but they're both decent shots. The crop feels a little off.

Greg In Ohio wrote in post #16231275
I am not even sure what the red thing is. I even looked at their website to try and find a side view that was standing still. I was thinking it was the caliper painted red...but if that was the case, you'd think the front one would be red too.

Its on the tire too, so most likely a reflection of something on the inside wall. Perhaps a guardrail.

its the orange/red tip of a pole, you can see the rest of it over the concrete in the bottom of the frame.

Personally, I would pick #1 if it were cropped as the others have said; leave out the red barrier at the bottom and leave more space in front of the car than behind. you said it was already cropped, do you have even more room in front of the car than is what's shown?

#1, then you don't have to deal with the issue of the panned marker on the tire/concrete barrier.
If #2 had been a 3/4 crop of the front of the car, then I would have picked #2.

#1 but crop off the red guard rail