Which picture is better? Before or After Photoshop?

Question: Which picture is better!? Before or After Photoshop!?

Before- http://s284!.photobucket!.com/albums/ll16/!.!.!.

After- http://s284!.photobucket!.com/albums/ll16/!.!.!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:

Definitely the first!. It looks natural (as in nature)!. Why does everyone think they have to play with photoshop!? Granted, on occasion it can be useful, but show nature as nature is! I tend to agree with Mori, both are a bit busy!. Sky and trees make it too busy!. Would be better with just the center 1/3 of the photo!. Rule of thirds with the girl on the left and crop so the stream flows out of the picture in the lower right!. The girl is the main subject and the stream is secondary!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

you did a good job stenciling out the water,
but it looks better before!.

its always tough to beat nature!.!.!.!.
what you want to try perhaps is to enhance nature!.!.!.!. rather than to change it!.
like painting matte backdrops over the top of images of nature!.!. like they do in movie backdrops!.!.!.

for example!.!.!. turn the girl into a mermaid!.!.!.
or take a picture of a field, and paint in a castle!.!.!.

take a picture of a cliff and add a giant statue carved into the rock

g'luckWww@QuestionHome@Com

I don't think that either picture looks good!. =/ It's too far away, I don't really get anything from seeing this shot!. I think that you need to put more emotion into it!. At least focus on the girl, I feel like I'm looking everywhere!. But of course, that is my opinion!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Definitely the Before!. The fact that the trees in the background are a bit light, to me, gives more of a magical effect and adds to the depth of the composition!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

BEFORE!. Why do people think that every nice photo on Earth has to be "edited"!? The second photo looks exactly like what it is!.!.!. a phony, overedited computer creation!.

steveWww@QuestionHome@Com

i like both!. the first one looks more natural!. the second one looks like a fantasy!. it should be on a romance/adventure novel (:Www@QuestionHome@Com

jesus christ the second one is an over saturated picture if i ever saw one!.!.!.!.instead of hue/sat, try hitting up my friends levels, curves and layer blend modesWww@QuestionHome@Com

afterWww@QuestionHome@Com

BEFORE!.
nature looks best the way it is!.!.!.Www@QuestionHome@Com