Can you help me decide between these two compositions?

[eddie]

but if it were my picture and I had a chance to do it again, I would go inside the fence try a shorter lens if possible from a low point of view to get the legs (arms?) to occupy the edges and corners of the frame. In the closer view here I find the highlights on the motor and clutch distracting.

i agree. maybe shooting from another side to try and get a back ground that is less busy.

[ImSoNegative]

As a kid this was probably my favorite ride. and I agree with brian concerning the composition

[MIke Sherck]

I prefer the close view. In the wide view the foreground and background run together and it's difficult to separate them; the fence also seems to set a visual barrier against which the eye doesn't seem to want to violate. The close view isn't perfect (what photograph is?) but it's more immediate (and more menacing) to me and I prefer it that way in this case.

Mike

[Brian C. Miller]

I like the close view.

What I would do differently for the photograph is to use selective focus, and thow the support out of focus, and leave the arms in focus. Also, move the camera so the building in back is gone, and more of the roller coaster is in the picture. The curve of the roller coaster echos the curve of the arms, and the trees provide a counterpoint.

I agree with Vaughn that the fence in the first photograph is like a barrier.

[Chris Strobel]

Have you thought about cloning out the fence on the wide view shot

[cosmicexplosion]

they are both no good...

due to aforementioned distractions and somewhat average angle of view.

if inly the fence wasnt there, it was dusk and the lights were on, with a midget in a top hat smoking a cigar...