Scalloped Spring: Which version?

[Andrea B.]

Scalloped Spring
Upper Geyser Basin
Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA

Df + 24-70/2.8G AFS (which has some fairly terrible CA, but nevermind...)
f/8 for 1/1250" @ISO-400 in late afternoon, slightly harsh, but golden light.

Thermal bacteria cause stong colours around these hot springs.
There is also chemical runoff of various kinds.
In theory, the steam is whitish, but, like I mentioned, the light was golden.

May I please have some opinions as to which version works best?
Light or Dark?
Cropped or not cropped?

I have looked at this one too long, so any and all suggestions welcomed. 
Thank you !!

1) dark, uncropped
2) light, uncropped
3) dark, cropped
4) light, cropped

[knb]

I think I would go for the uncropped, but perhaps somewhere between the dark and the light versions. Very interesting colours around the hot spring.

[Bruno Schroder]

At first sight, I would also be betwen the dark and light, probably more on the dark side but I would try a harder crop on top. The green seems too strong for the color pattern, which is more interesting, I think.

[Andrea B.]

Thanks, Kjetil and Bruno !!

****

I think part of what is causing me problems is that the skies were very blue and the light was very late and golden.

So the water/wet areas do reflect a lot of blue.
But the sediment build-up around the spring should be greyish - except where there is a lot of orange/yellow runoff.
With all that, add in the golden light - and there seems to be no place where I can attempt to measure a white balance that gives the scene "correct" colours, whatever those colours might be!!

I'm thinking now that I have the saturation too high perhaps. Maybe if I cut the sat a bit and whiten the steam a bit, the scene will look more like it is "supposed" to. Yikes!

[Andrea B.]

Here is that version with slightly lower saturation and with whiter steam and some whiter sediment. Shadows/water left blue. Maybe this looks a little more normal (?).

[John Geerts]

Uncropped - light I like most.  I find the blue-water in combination with the Geyser strong points. The background may be too dominating however.

[Akira]

I would darken the light version slightly.  Framing is highly personal.  I prefer the uncropped version, but I would have directed the camera slightly more upwards.

[Raaj]

Hi Andrea,  my $0.02 - if your goal it to take the eye to the waters of the spring, then the dark uncropped version looks best to me.  Nice image.  The 24-70 seems to be doing well in your hands.


Cheers,
   -raaj

[Mikes]

I prefer the dark versions as I find the colors in the light versions just a little too garish.

I think that I prefer the cropped version as giving more focus on the vent, with background/foreground providing context.

[pluton]

#1 for me, looking on an NEC PA series Spectraviewed monitor.
Color and contrast seem the most natural, and the crop does not improve anything.
But then, I'm a nut for seeing the context or surroundings.  Give it air.

[Mike G]

Definitely No1 for me due to it being in your words the dark one.

[Andrea B.]

Thank you John, Akira, Raaj, Mike, Keith and Mike G for your comments !!

I'm probably going to go with the Uncropped version. And I'm going to "whiten" the steam a bit.
I also think that I will desaturate the scene bit because I think I overdid the golden light thing the first time through. "-)