Thaw, Iceland - Which Version Works?

[PBC]

Just reviewing my shots from my recent visit to Iceland and I am in two minds about this image.

Normally I wouldn't "flip" an image, but I am wondering if moving the flow of water to run left-corner to right works better.   Based on the eye going left-to-right, it seems to make sense but knowing it was composed the other way round, maybe stopping me agreeing.

Any thoughts (both versions below)?

[petermfiore]

This one...COMBO

Peter

[Eric Myrvaagnes]

Only someone who has been at that exact spot might be bothered by the flipped version.
To me, either one works nicely, so I would stick with the version that feels right to you.

In my own work, I can only recall one image that I flipped in order to have the eye-direction go left to right. That is out of many thousands of images over the years.

-Eric

[Jeremy Roussak]

I agree with Peter.

Jeremy

[Telecaster]

Gotta say Peter's version is the one I'd paint…if I could paint. 

-Dave-

[armand]

I would definitely choose something with the stream starting from the left side. I think our brain (at least mine) is wired to start looking at an image from the left and if the stream is not there, not much is there.

[francois]

Gotta say Peter's version is the one I'd paint…if I could paint. 

-Dave-

My thought exactly… This version has all the elements in the right places.

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I think most Westerner brains read photos from left to right just like they read printed words, a result of training from childhood.  I wonder about other cultures that read right to left or top to bottom.  How would they answer this question?

[MattBurt]

I think most Westerner brains read photos from left to right just like they read printed words, a result of training from childhood.  I wonder about other cultures that read right to left or top to bottom.  How would they answer this question?

Yeah, me too. I wonder if that is visibly reflected in their art.
The concept reminds me an interesting NPR piece on emotions I heard yesterday that had similar language/culture connections that program our brains. Interesting stuff!

[PBC]

Thanks for the feedback guys.

I was tempted with Peter's version (combo of the two) and did produce a flip the foreground, but leave the mountains as is version - but in the end I felt it lacked something to take the eye to; so flipped the whole image so the open water in the ice takes the eye bottom left to the mountain top right.  Just feels better.   Maybe being too close to the real location the combo as a flip to far :-)

End result can be seen here: http://www.philcorley.com/Portfolios/Iceland/i-RTFpRmN/A

All comments welcome

Phil

[petermfiore]

Thanks for the feedback guys.

I was tempted with Peter's version (combo of the two) and did produce a flip the foreground, but leave the mountains as is version - but in the end I felt it lacked something to take the eye to; so flipped the whole image so the open water in the ice takes the eye bottom left to the mountain top right.  Just feels better.   Maybe being too close to the real location the combo as a flip to far :-)

End result can be seen here: http://www.philcorley.com/Portfolios/Iceland/i-RTFpRmN/A

All comments welcome

Phil

Beautiful job. Looks wonderful.

Peter

[muntanela]

I prefer the first one. Perhaps because we read from left to right..., in the second one, when you arrive at the mountain on the right, you feel an absence of space on its right. You feel like if you were going against a wall. The poor mountain (the only true mountain in the picture) has no breath anymore, it loses one of its most constitutive elements (like a cardiopath ...).