This is one of those that is certainly in the eye of the beholder. I was going through a whole bunch of shots from the weekend for the Mystic All About Fall theme and while I was tweaking some and discarding others I managed to do this...

Here is the original image:



Now here is the crop that I came up with:



Which do you like better and why?

I like the crop but I also like the water being more defined in the original. Obviously if I had set up the shot properly in the first place I would have the water more defined in the crop, but does it work better because the water isn't defined as well?

so many questions...

Eric

I prefer the second, simply because it's more to my style... I would likely have taken this shot originally, and created a bokeh effect with the water in the background. I love how well focused the leaf is , and the contrast against the gray background is quite striking.

a second look just now... and that bright spot midway between the flower and the right edge is slightly distracting.. but this a minor thing

There are technical qualities in both images, but neither one manages to relate a consistent or clear story. I suppose that must be nature's fault; it tends to be messy. I've found that obstacles can often be transformed into advantages in a photographic composition, but I can't find anything clear in either one that I can latch on to as a viewer. Sorry for the harsh judgement, it's just a personal feeling. The technique in both is undeniable but, to use an England English expression, "they're all mouth and no trousers".

Yup, I wondered about that bright reflection spot as well, but ultimately left it in because I thought it balanced out the leaf...

no harm, no foul is our saying here rev, and I do appreciate your pov and don't consider it harsh at all...

I like the first.
The sun is shining on the left making the leaves appear bright, on the right they have a matt finish...I like the contrast.

I prefer the second but I would crop it down the middle - fairly close to the right hand side of the leaf. (That bright spot doesn't do anything for me but to pull my eye away from the lovely leaf detail)

Of the two, I prefer the crop.

I find it helpful when looking at photos like these to ask myself "what is this a photo OF?" In the first shot, I don't get an answer... the foreground and background compete with each other. The second shot, I can say "this is a photo of a golden plant". I think you cropped it correctly in the amount of space the plant takes up, but the bright spot is very distracting to my eye... I'd clone it out.

I like the original best. the bright spot in the crop detracts from the beauty of the leaf.

Absolutely the second one. Okay, the colors are fine in both, and you see some other things, but this focuses on a subject that is more specific. I have a defined subject to look at and to consider. It is a "portrait" of sorts: it's like choosing a face out of a crowd. Good photo.

The second one, of course. Essentially, when cropping elements from a photograph, you simplify the image, making it cleaner and more visually appealing.

I love the background in the first one ... interesting light and colors

I like the second better, mainly because it clarifies the subject of the photo. I would've probably done a vertical crop, matching the verticallity of the subject, and eliminating the bright spot either with the crop or by cloning it away. The color and texture of the leaves are good enough to provide interest in the photo, I think.

It depends of what you want to show...
I prefer the 2nd one, but both are good!

I prefer the second because I love the unusual detail of the leaves. Really perfect shots!!

Like them both but the second one emphasises the one branch. It has such detail right down to the spider webs. The color in both are great but with the single branch the color seems to jump out at you and demand attention. Good work!

I like the first shot, perfectly balanced with the two outer branches curving in and focusing you again on the leaf colour