I'm a fisherman so I like the water.. Still, I vote for the top photo too. It's gorgeous.
I think it's not the water of the pond that detracts from the bottom photo, it is the berm.
You have a magnificent ray of light coming through the trees but it stops at the berm, never reaching the bottom edge of the photo. The dirt berm is between the viewer and the light.
I'd look for an angle where I could get the reflections off the water without the berm. If the sun rays reflecting off the water went all the way to the bottom of the photo I think the vote might reverse...
Just my $.02.
Great photos.
