Quite a remarkable composition of the various elements on offer from a beautiful location during a dramatic moment. Every aspect of this picture has something of merit and excitement. The source of colour on one side of the frame that is echoed on the broad expanse of the other side of the frame, albeit with a spectral shift and then that same light is reflected in the puddles of water between the ripples of sand. It brings tears to my eyes. The texture delivered by those same ripples complements the alternate texture of the clouds, hard and etched vs soft and nebulous. Although the darkest shade is in the tease of trees barely making an appearance but delineated by the bright burst from the rising sun, the secondary dark element is the sand. The rippled pattern is segregated from the solid dark spear of sand in the middle-ground by a smear of light reflected on the collected water that keeps these two areas apart. The composition opens up to the right by both divergence of detail and convergence of geometry. The horizon placed at a third as it should be. Absolutely superb. I wish I could have been there.
The second photo reveals yet another magnificent location captured at the right time, under the benefit of a piquant turn of the weather. A good subject for HDR. I would have positioned myself a little more to the right to keep the red tree closer to the left edge of the frame and farther from the island. Good use of the Golden Rule. Finally, some photography to feast on from this otherwise moribund site. Nice work and keep it up. When I see members of this forum come with this kind of work I almost feel like suggesting a theme for the truly avid to pursue as a sort of stimulus to get out there with camera in tow.
Thanks for posting your work.