Gorgeous shot and conversion, Geoff!! I prefer the top crop since it seems to have a little more space. It is such a BIG scene that the crop with less upper air space seems a little constrained to me. Beautiful work!
Stunning images you have captured here, the comps, sky are just gorgeous and your conversion and toning fit the subject matter just perfectly, beautiful work here.
Thanks, folks. I wasn't sure about the crops. #1 seemed a bit "top-heavy" with that much dark tone, but I also think #2 looks too tight. Maybe I had spent too much time looking at the shot, and was looking for things to be wrong. I tend to do that. I think I need to step away sometimes and come back later to have a look. Of the two, I'd choose #1.
I used Capture NX2 for some of the PP. Trying to get the hang of it. It's different, but I'm warming up to it some. It does some things really well.
I guess I will be the odd person out. I like #2 even though it is tight. The reason I like it is that the clouds play a bigger part than they do in the first image and I like that emphasis on the clouds because they are so well captured and converted.
I prefer the top crop since it seems to have a little more space. It is such a BIG scene that the crop with less upper air space seems a little constrained to me. Beautiful work!