Compassion is the desire that moves the individual self to widen the scope of its self-concern to embrace the whole of the universal self.

Two (non-cute kiddie related) images today, and it continues my tendency to (either)

1. Equivocate due to an inexplicable loss of confidence in my ability to judge the merits of a photograph; or
   
2. Actively engage my audience into the creative process.
   

Both photos were taken this morning on my way to work. Not dissimilar to an image that I’ve featured before. Now, I really do like that photograph, but wasn’t satisfied with the reflection of the flag, which kind of ruins the shot. I narrowed down to two favourites from an original batch of nine. Originally, I felt that the image above was the clear winner, as it continues my fascination with getting down low into the shot and utilising a perspective that (wankery alert) “challenges orthodoxy”.

[There are a multitude of examples just in the last two months. Perhaps I feel it might hide the deficiencies of the camera (or its operator!)]

But, I dunno. In the shot below, I know that the colours and detail on the rope and chain are all washed out; but conversely, the reflection is far, far better. I thought about going black and white to minimise the muting of the colour, but then I lose much of what I like of the reflection.

I know that a lot of keen photographers follow this blog (many, if not most, far better than I), and am very much interested in your opinion. Are the flaws in that second shot beyond salvaging? And is the first shot as good as my gut tells me?