Four Bulldogs

While in the Scottsdale area for Christmas, I met up with Peter Coskun and Bob Miller to shoot the Salt River below Saguaro Lake for two evenings. Neither evening had colorful sunsets, but the light on the Bulldog Cliffs and riverside trees was golden. Is it too late for "fall" colors?

#1 from the first evening

#2 Second evening further upstream where the river bend has a large pool.

#3 Vertical with a little spotlight on the cliffs.

Do you think there is too much sky? Is the polarized sky distracting to you?

#4 Late evening with the full moon.
Suggestions and preferences are indeed welcome. Thanks.

Nice Doug. I really like 2 and 4... and 3.

I really like the calmness and composition of #4.

Number 4 is very pleasing!

These are all great, but im partial to 2&3!

I like all of them Doug, despite the lack of rainbows and unicorns we did get some fortuitous light and clouds to accentuate the landscape. I think the third image could use a slight crop from the top. I feel there is just too much sky there, but that is all personal preference. The moonrise shot turned out pretty nice too.

#2 is my favorite here, with the dramatic light and the clouds that provide a welcome accent without taking over the comp. I also like the evening calm of #4 a lot, but somehow the curve of the left shoreline makes me feel like there's a tilt or distortion, pushes my eye to the left frame instead of back center with the river.

All are excellent, and I really like #'s 3 and 4.

What a fine place to photograph, and you really did it justice, Doug. Compositions and 'development' are spot on.
#'s 2 & 3 are my favorites, although I like all of them.
As for your questions. I think the amount of sky is just fine. Tried some screen crops and they all felt...well, cropped.
The cloudy skies are wonderful. The polarization is not distracting to me at all. I wouldn't have even noticed had you not said anything.