Cheyenne Bottoms sunset

The roadrunners have gone AWOL, so I had to find a different subject matter Monday night :). The sun was almost down as flocks of birds came into roost. The cormorants are sitting on a hunting blind.

http://www.naturephotographers.net/imagecritique/ic.cgi?a=vp&pr=155570&CGISESSID=b52752c886f05ebbd3e1db638410df11&u=8930

The above link is to a photo I just posted in M&N that was taken a few minutes earlier and several yards to the south. I am curious which composition you find better, especially with regards to the positioning of the sun and the hunting blind. Thanks in advance.

Rob, I like them both. I like the light better in the other image. The glow shooting upwards out of the clouds is spectacular.

Very well done Rob, their both great!

They are both good photographs Rob, but I like this one better. I like the sun better on the right side and the birds in the air make this one more interesting to me. In the other photo all I tend to notice is the sun, whereas in this one I notice the birds and the hunting blind more.

I tend to agree that this one is better. I like the sun being less dominant and the edge of the clouds on the top. But what really adds a lot of interest is the birds in the air. Nice job.

I also like the flying birds, as it gives a better feel of how things were right at sunset. I was wondering if the sun was to dominant. I am still undecided which is better: the sun close to the blind or farther away as in the M&N post.

I like the shot posted in this thread Rob. The birds add an extra element that I find really appealling. Well done on both counts.

Rob,
I have not read any other comments but will after I post.
I like the second better but not because of the sun. I like the water better and general ambiance of the color. I don't like the hunting blind in either photo, not because of the hunting but because of the man-made structure. The cloud edges are particularly appealing. The bird numbers is an offsetting factor for the lower sun photo.
Glad you were 'there'. Keep up the good work.
the fisch

One thing to consider, Larry, that I didn't mention, is that I have a request for a sunset photo from Cheyenne Bottoms. The mother is looking for one for her grown son, who has hunted CB for years. I try to keep this fact in mind as I go out, so that even as I'm shooting for myself, I am also trying to capture a photo that would interest the mother/son. I will offer photos with and without the hunting blind though, to cover all bases. I am hoping for something similar to these this fall, but with a lot more ducks in the air :). Thanks for looking and commenting.

Rob, that is a dandy!