This is an interesting image. Technically it is very good, and the subject has interesting features. The bent trees are quite a novel detail. I wonder what a landscape format with the trees on the left third would have been like. I think the trees could stand out in a broader setting even more than this closer crop permits. Overall I?d regard this image as more of a general creative image than a travel photo but, as I?ve said elsewhere, that?s an observation rather than a criticism.
I’d have to agree with you. The second shot doesn’t improve things. The unusual inclination of the trees is lost. Thanks for posting it for a comparison.