Which do you prefer?

[Jim Covello]

The following were taken over a twenty minute span in Arivaca, Arizona. I have never been able to decide which I prefer.
Other comments are welcome, too!

[Bjørn Rørslett]

#2 for me. The colours of #3 are not that pleasant to my eye.

[Jim Covello]

Thanks for your vote, Bjorn!

[Jack Dahlgren]

#1. Looks like Arizona to me.

[David H. Hartman]

I prefer #2. I like the way a small branch is highlighted in the lower right. The tones and colors of #2 are more dramatic to my eye. I think both #1 and #2 can be strengthened by cropping the top some.

Dave Hartman

[Nasos Kosmas]

#3 for the birds show up better, the orientation of the frame and the orange

[Ethan]

I prefer Number 3 for the simple reason of the location of the bird against the bright hole between the clouds.

[simato73]

In terms of white balance, I would like something in between the first two, maybe closer to #2.
I like best the clouds in #1, but overall composition of #3.
The third does not work for me, both in terms of colour and composition.

[Anthony]

§3 for me, I like the tree, and the birds against the light add that something extra.

[CS]

#1. Looks like Arizona to me.

A Joshua tree in need of a haircut? 

[elsa hoffmann]

#1 for me.

[CS]

#2 for me.

[MFloyd]

#2: color & composition

[Jim Covello]

Thanks, everybody!
Final (as of now) tally:
#1: 2
#2: 4
#3: 3
(I'm sorry, Simone; I wasn't sure how to count your vote, so I left it off...I have similar confusions, which is why I posted it.)
I checked the Lightroom editing; all are at LR defaults (Camera Standard) except #1 which has the exposure -2/3 and highlights +29. All the white balances are as shot (I always use daylight, so I am sure that is what they all are).

Carl, a scraggly looking tree, to be sure, but not a Joshua Tree. Some kind of oak or cottonwood.
Anthony, I was very excited to see that bright gap in the clouds coming at the birds and waited for it!

Thanks for the comments!
Jim

[Roland Vink]

#1 first - Nice colours and composition. Could try increasing saturation a little to bring out the colours in the sky and clouds.

#2 second - Also nice colours. I would crop a bit off the top as the mass of dark cloud at the top makes the composition top heavy. Crop back to a little above the tree, and maybe add a black strip along the bottom foreground - then the cloud and foreground mirror each other and you get a more balanced composition, I would rate it equal to #1

#3 last - Top of the tree gets lost in the dark clouds at the top. The branches lower right are not in focus, and the overall composition lacks any "ground" - you can see the tips of some shrubs along the bottom but it's not enough to anchor the tree. In cases like this you either need to get it all in to have a proper ground, or crop it out entirely, the current composition is neither here or there.