Hi James:

I like both of these shots for different reasons. In the first, I like the way you can see the storm clouds moving in while the trees in front are still bathed in sunlight. At the same time, off in the distance, you get a hint of the blue skies to come.

The zoom on the vertical crop juxtaposes the warm, rich, and inviting colors of the fall foliage with the stark, cold, and foreboding atmosphere of the mountain.

I think I prefer the second shot because the perspective makes me, as the viewer, feel like part of the scene.

Jim