I think by contrasty, they are really wanting sharp and colorful. Not harsh light where the highlights are on the edge of clipping and the shadows are losing detail.

I would pull back on the bronze statue so the cougar looks like it has space where it is looking too and ahead of it.

With the falls, I would get there in soft light (7-8am or 6-8pm) with a polarizer and REALLY slow the shutter down. Close the aperture down to about F16 and then slow down that shutter so the water goes silky. It would be a lovely sunset shot with the skyline in the background. Especially on a night with oranges and reds in a sunset. Of course, you will need good tripod for this.