Canal Walk B&W

These are a couple of shots I took back home a few years ago. What do you think.

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First one is contrasty and lifeless. Compostion is interesting.

Second one is much better, but seems to lack compositionally.

The first shot is a STUNNER! I really really like it a lot. I very much feel the mood of the shot. Reminds me of the end of the film "The Third Man". This is about as close to chiaroscuro as a photograph can get. Very, Very Well Done.

The second shot is lacking in that the bright lights overwhelm the bridge. Lacks the intamacy of the first shot. For me, too distant to get the mood of the place.

Rad

Love the reflections- perfectly still water. Almost unreal.

I think both shots are great, but the first one seems a little soft.
The lines in #1 are in just the right places to add to the feeling of depth. It's really 3-D!
I think you found just the right vantage point to enhance that effect.

I can't tell what's going on in the upper part of the bridge. Is this one of those rare situations where a bridge is built over a canal in order to give a path to a stream that needs to cross over the canal? We have one of those on the C & O canal not far upstream from D.C.

#2 is a little flat in comparison and gives an eerie feeling!

Nice work on both!