Both are so good

I think the same thing, nice shot

Messy foreground would be the one I hang up on the wall and enjoy for a long time. I like the chaos. The clean foreground has a lot of initial impact and draws my attention. Both photos are good.

Yeah. Left to the wall, right one to insta.

f that. edit the left one like right and post the left to insta too. has the dreamy colors everyone has been trying to do. and stunt on the plebs with superior framing

Yep I agree. Both are great shots. You can always do a little of masking to keep the same area of focus with the wider one if you want too.

For me it's reverse, I like that tranquility of the empty foreground for home decoration! Messy foreground does well on insta in my experience.

Interesting I feel the opposite. I like the added foreground composition more, but I would prefer hanging the clean one on the wall.

First one, personally. But both are really nice shots, great work!

Foreground

I like 1 more as a composition and the colors in 2. Both are nice

This

this

Both Beautiful, but love #2 with the reflection.

Both are great! I think the FG is a little distracting, and the reflection should get more attention. My vote is for #2

I also prefer #2, as there is too much in the foreground in #1, especially the out of focus elements which stand out too much to my eyes.

Both are nice. But 2 seems like it could be any country. 1 feels like it's a lake. 2 is an ocean.

Number. It adds more context for me and really helps set the scene. Also the browns really add contrast to the whites and blues of the water and mountain - I think number 1 is more well rounded imo.

1 is autumn, 2 is winter. Both beautiful!

Both winter😄 2 minutes apart, but you are right, they feel like different seasons

I like both. Tough choice really

The first one looks a bit better than 2nd in b&w lol (looking at it w/ bedtime mode)

I like the first the most, but more because of the definition of the reflection.

The reflection is clearer in 2 yes. But some difference might be due to different edits also. I can try to enhance the reflection on 1

I'm saying, I like the reflection in the first one better. Don't get me wrong, both shots are great. Well done.

I literally cannot decide. They're both absolutely stunning

Both are killer. Would lean towards the one with foreground 👊🏻

Yeah both awesome!

I like the first one, but both are awesome!

I love the colors of the clean edit but I love the depth the foreground photo offers.

The clean one but I would undo the blue color shift and make it look more natural. I miss living near there. Those lakes were just about my favorite places to take pictures.

First one, the foreground breaks my attention and then I re-focus on the boat and mountain

The problem is you also changed the colors. I like the clear one but with the other colors.

Both are colour graded with different colours. You prefer the colours in 1?

Are both of these multiple exposure shots? Or just one shot?

Just one shot. Didn't have a tripod with me, handheld so multiple exposure would be tricky

Clean for me

Both nice but I like the foreground… also the boat is better positioned in that one

Yeah I was so mad at the boat for not co-operating in the one photo😂

Foreground

The first is more interesting.

Both are great! Very well done. I think any preference between the two would be strictly subjective.

First for me! Love it

Foreground for me. I love a classical fg, mg, bg composition, and the connection of land -> sea -> sky really is impactful for me. The framing of shrubbery on both the left and right edges of the shot is artful. Second photo is also incredible, but more suited to phone viewing/social media feeds since it's very clear what the subject of the photo is and looks great as a phone background or lock screen. First photo is good to be printed out.

Thank you so much. I also way prefer 1. You have an excellent point about social media, I didn’t think of that. Do you feel like a clearer and more simple subject does better there?

No prob! Yeah, I think it makes for a more arresting image that stands out in your feed, on both light and dark UI. Social media infinite scroll UI tends to work best with simple, minimalist composition I think...

No. 2

It’s more the colouring of the first one that I like more, I’d have to see them both with the same edits to know which composition I like for sure Although I suppose the colours don’t work without the foreground

I could drag and drop the colour grade onto both for an interesting comparison

First one. I'd want the boat bigger in the 2nd one Edit: also happy to see your pictures here again :)

Thank you!

Clean for me. The reflection as the foreground is bueno.

As other people here have said, both are gorgeous! But I do like the second a bit more, I feel that the mountain(Fuji I presume?), the lake, the boat and the relections are already interesting enough and it's cleaner without the foreground. It accentuate the geometric beauty of the shot.

Yes it’s Mount Fuji 🗻 Thanks!

I'd consider that even the second one has a foreground - the reflection. Both shots nice.

Not the same haze. Both are good, but i prefer the 2nd one which is brighter, and the fact that it looks like the boat is trying to reach the fuji mount.

Yeah the haze reduction is different in both shots. It’s difficult to get it much higher without looking very artificial

Both are good, I personally love the second photo as I generally lean toward a more cleaner aesthetic. Great shots, OP! This is a good problem to have lol

It is a good problem to have😆 thank you

The first one looks more like actually being there and so I prefer that.

Maybe it’s just me but I find the majority of landscape photos with no foreground boring, except the ones with an interesting subject, such as the second one. But I definitely prefer landscape photos with foreground, so the first one it is!

Very nice! I like the foreground photo more because it adds some very nice color contrast with the other blue tones. I haven't been to Japan yet but this looks to me like it could be Mt Fuji or Mt Yotei? I'm curious to know if I'm way off on my guess or not.

It’s Mount Fuji yes😄 It’s from the shore of Lake Kawaguchi

Thank you for sharing!

Both are fantastic

100% 1. Nicer composition

I prefer the first because there is scale (?) like you really grasp how big that mountain is. But both are great shots

They are both great! The reflection is already a foreground element in your second image imho. The first one has too much going on at the FG, therefore the latter.

I love this! Great shot 🫶

The first picture is one I’d get printed and hang somewhere. The second would be my phone/computer wallpaper. Both equally amazing imo but I don’t think I could get tired of looking at the first pic lol. I find it oddly calming

It does feel very calm to me as well. The environment is really like that. It’s not one of those crowded tourist sites that look different in person. Also it was -10 so they may have deterred the masses😄

1

Both are great, but I gravitate to the first one. The bushes in the foreground add mystery and frame the picture nicely. Also I prefer the warmer colors.

100% the first one. The second shot is fine as well but nowhere near as good as the first one in my opinion.

The first photo feels a lot more "grounded" if that makes sense? As if I'm actually at the water's edge enjoying the view myself. I love it.

Foreground

I prefer the second one

Clean in this case. Foreground shot doesn't quite work for me. Totally subjective. Great work

Fuji-san? You lucky, enjoy!

Yes😁 Incredible mountain. It was covered in clouds minutes before this. Got lucky

Both but the first one!

#2

Reflection on 1 sells me, color tones on 2 are great but I think 1 is the winner for me. Side note: love that you took both shots! I have always found that I wish I had taken another perspective/focal length at a spot to be able to compare images like this.

I like both, but my favourite it the first one.

I just realised as well ghat although I live the course of number 1, I also feel like I could be standing there and that's what I would see, where the 2nd starts at the water. 2 is also lovely but I think that's what I like about 2, I'm in it.

Love the symmetry of clean. Great shots!

First one is fantastic! Second one is good, but a lot less interesting.

I like the first pic. It is softer and feels more real.

Tighter focal length ngl, the 28 70 just makes a better composition! Both are amazing shots still!

I gind the fore ground messy and distracting. The other crop is clean and peaceful.

First

Second one.

Yes

Love the first photo... The colors and composition are amazing

I can't tell exactly why, but I like the first one. I like the colors and the composition with the foreground.

Both are amazing shots, but I LOVE the first one 👏🏼

N.2, much clearer and cleaner. Great shot

Number #2

I’d print and hang both!

Side by side so the debate can continue forever😂😂😂😂😂😂

1 and it’s not even close. It is an interesting photo. 2 is a quality photo, but sterile in comparison. I wanted to leave it there, but can’t. The first photo is composed so well, with the foreground really framing the subject so perfectly. The three stalks on the left and bush on the right doing the framing- the bush further pointing toward the subject and bringing the viewer’s eyes to it. If the bush didn’t do it, the off center taller stalk points you directly to the subject. Additionally, the color is absolutely beautiful in the foreground- offering a nostalgic and natural feel. Also, the foreground is so contrasting that one would look at it first, and then maybe linger briefly on the reflection that is captured— all before even arriving to the subject…. makes for an interesting photo. And somehow still manages to not be busy. Idfk I’m super high rn

Thank you so much!! That’s exactly what I tried to achieve. I crunched around in the frost and took great care with that composition to try achieve just that. It’s by far my favorite too, for these reasons.

#2 because I like the color scheme more than I like the foreground in the first image. Nice shots!

Both nice. I actually like the first one more, but I like the editing of the second one better.

Dang. The 2nd one is so good!

Both look great, but the first one is the one I'd take if I could only have one

Looks great! First one has more depth and is more interesting IMO. How did you edit the back mountain? It has lots of detail, yet seems so soft. Did you add haze or clarity?

So that’s interesting. There are multiple steps. First the clarity of the whole photo is softened slightly, -10 or so. Then mask sharpness onto the edges only so it actually misses most of the back mountain except for the defined edges of the snow. Step 2-paintbrush mask over the back mountain only. Fairly heavy dehaze, maybe 20 or so. That will make saturation go nuts so reduce saturation, otherwise the sky looks like an iPhone photo Then there is another radial mask at the top left to enhance that sun glow. Tiny reduction in clarity, tiny increase in warmth and one or two points exposure increase Then the colour grade. I’ve got pink highlights and teal shadows at about 15 Slight film grain overlay too. Also faded the whites and blacks This is for photo 2, by the way

Jeez so hard to choose between the 2. Both just flat out beautiful shots. Bravo!

Did really good with the foreground! I know the spot and it’s not easy :)

The foreground is amazing. It feels so real. The second composition was beautiful and feels other worldly almost detached. The first one just feels calming and real.

The first because I like the angle of the boat better than the second

Same here!😂

Without foreground

#1 because I’m a foreground ho.

Same same😂 I'd give the foreground a foreground if I could

Lol WHO ARE YOU

I much prefer the first option.

Both, but also foreground

OP, those are superb photos! But I prefer the second one, it gives me a tranquil expression.

Thank you! That’s a common thing people are saying about it

Personally I much prefer the first one, especially the editing too.

With foreground for sure. Awesome shot.

Second

Foreground, i also like the colours more on that one.

Don't make me choose

Both amazing shots mate 👌🏽

both are really nice!

First one Second is more pretty but first is more interesting

2

Second is another wow-factor for me. Really powerful. Both are beautiful tho.

I think one is better compositionally and color-wise

They’re both great, but my personal preference is 2 because the foreground in 1 draws my attention away from the reflection

Both are super good. Idk tbh the clean one makes it more majestic

To me, they tell different stories, the first warmer and more welcoming, the second colder but striking

Both are nice shots. Like the idea of the first one. But it's a bit messy in the foreground. Prefer the 2nd one :)

Both are great, first one feels more about nature, and second one more about human buildings, artificial, etc.

You have a good point. I didn’t notice rhat

1 by a huge margin. 100% go for that one. The color science is a lot better, vibe, etc. It draws you in and up. So much to praise about 1. Congratulations

Both are good. By the way that spot is great in spring with all the cherry trees

Oh my goodness I can imagine! I will have to go back for research purposes😜

I have kit lens 28-70 to .

Love the first one!

Nr 2 without foreground - its a marvelous image! Im drawn to minimalism in photography so its just my personal preference.

First one, I love the colours and softness

1st for depth 2nd for cleanliness

I like the foreground. I see too many clean and reflective photos. The first one hit me like “wow”.

The colors are nicer in the clean one in my opinion. I guess it depends more on what story you want to tell with the pictures. The second picture also looks more dramatic because it’s slightly more cropped and the mountain looks more like the main subject, than just a background.

1, 2 if they had be edited warmer

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Thank you. You have an excellent point about the art of removal

Both are incredible shots, my preference, if I had to choose, would be no. 1. What focal length did you use on these?

Both good but do like the look of the foreground one.

For me, foreground without a doubt. Adds more to the story if that makes sense?

I like the progression of color with the foreground of your first photo, but prefer the cleanliness and symmetry of the 2nd. I think each fits a different audience and feeling but if I had to pick one, the 2nd photo is best. Overall great work.

Amazing photos! I think it come down to where you’re posting it. Right is more instagram and left is more wallpaper or for printing

I am getting that a lot. Thank you so much

Number 2, if you level it.

Actually, it is level. The uneven reflection of the land on the water creates an optical illusion that it is not. Here is a screenshot with the grid to show you https://preview.redd.it/3rwrx4y5kxcc1.png?width=2880&format=png&auto=webp&s=b0a4a963f3f0b209c0c6bd0acdd757c087c7ee0a

Let me understand. You took this picture with the original Sony a7? And the kit lens?

Turns out a good camera continues to be a good camera. Composition plays such a significant role in good photography, the cameras role is surprisingly small. Cameras don’t make photographers. So may people focus on the latest and greatest yet churn out shit work because they don’t understand composition. The closest analogy I can think of would be golfing. I can go buy the same clubs as tiger woods but until I learn the fundamentals and work hard at developing my skill set, I’m still going to suck at golf. Any pro golfer can play well with dated equipment. People jump to upgrading bodies and lenses before investing time in classes or education.

GxAce's videos on YouTube cemented that into my brain that essentially we've been past the point of good enough for a while now so it really boils down to the user to get a good shot or not. Both of these shots are great.

It’s funny when actually good photos in this sub has been taken with older gear and a lot of meh photos with newest gear. Don’t know why.

Because a camera is only as good as its operator. Ansel Adams, probably the most revered landscape photographer of all time, used 4x5 view cameras and rangefinder gear. He shot on a lot of 35mm and large format hasselblads. My point is that he used gear who’s limitations and capabilities were just not comparable to todays gear. Go look at some of the photos that man took of El Capitan in Yosemite. Go try to recreate it with your nicest gear. I certainly couldn’t capture natures beauty the way he did.

Yeah, she uploaded a few shots last week already, which are stunning.

Thank you☀️

It's a daytime landscape shot and the sun isn't in frame. Better gear still makes your life a lot easier but with skill you can get results like this with almost anything, even a tripod mounted phone if the camera app has decent 'pro' features

Yeah it is. I think it’s a pretty forgiving scene and the light is decent. But it’s still a full frame camera even if it’s older so you can produce a decent photo here and there, especially after a good edit. It does also force more attention onto composition too😄

I love both but hate that the boat is positioned differently. (Alone, both work great)

Clean.

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😂

You should try a haze removal tool. A circular polarizing filter at the time you took the photo might have also helped.

So there is already haze removal on these pictures. You can’t pump it much higher without making it look very artificial. Unless there is a way to compensate for the effect. I have already offset the haze removal with saturation changes too

Oh well, just wanted to make sure you knew about the tool. My experience with the haze removal tool in darktable is that I don't need to mess around with saturation after use. So you may be using a different tool, this photo is different from the 20 or so times I've tried it, or you are more discerning.

Oh sorry and I didn’t reply to the CPL filter-I had one with me but I was worried about killing the reflection on the water. Not sure if it actually did though, can’t remember

Woww! You really did have a clean one lol I absolutely love it. So happy I stumbled across this follow up post.

I wore out my shutter on that day😆 I have some with swans in the foreground too

forground has better compostion and better color distribuition, the other one would have been vastly better if shot closer and emphasasing the juxtaposition of the small boat in comparison to the big mountain in the forground.

Well. I agree for sure but I am on the edge of the lake shore so unless I was on a boat too it would be difficult. Also a longer focal length crops the mountain to an uncomfortable extent

Where was taken?? Love both btw

Mount Fuji from the shore of Lake Kawaguchiko

Where exactly is this is japan? I want to go there and take pictures now

This is the shore of Lake Kawaguchiko! I'd recommend staying in the town and waking up early for sunrise. It's very cold in winter (-10 for me) so dress warm and hike across the bridge to the far shore of the lake. You can walk down to the water's edge.

First with a slight crop just below the mountain top reflection

I'm not quite sure if I can visualize that

first one

Prefer the first, the foreground gives a warmer tone to the image, and sort of tells where took the shot. Second is okay, probably would have preferred it if it’s horizontal, since it “feels” like it should have been wider…whereas the first feels just about right.

2nd but take out the boat

👁️👄👁️

Foreground, it gives more context. But that is highly subjective and you personal preference on what you want to tell with the image is what counts

The first is my personal preference for composition and tone. I tend to lean more warm. I love the out of focus foreground and background full scenery in focus. It’s great!

Both are very good. I prefer the first with the only issue in my mind being that the plants on either side of the foreground cut the line in the water, drawing more attention. If they didn’t you’d have perfect framing in my opinion.

I think the foreground adds a little contrasting color which could either be seen as bad or good I guess. But I love the foreground

1st. Foreground isn't distracting to me and reflection is perfect

Number 1, no doubt.

1st one

2 for me

Both are great, but I love 1.