First, this is very nice photo. And I would be lucky to take one like that. Using as excesise for my thought here totaly personal thoughts.

Croped image fill unbalanced, propobly botom goround angle pull to right all composition. Also composition doesnot have any point of intrest, so eyes jumping around with out concetrating on any point. Adding fisherman in boat on left side will balanced agains ground and add point of intrest. But this if you want modify it.

 

Uncroped image have better balance by adding heavy object on left, this fill more stable, but it is not intrested and take too match attention from all scenery.

I understend your question about both images, one fill right but unatractive bench , other beatifull but boring and unbalanced.

Version with bench can be fixed, by placing item on bench, that would give some story beghind. Adding a single flower, hat, or color point - red ball. will bring more character to it.

 

How I sad at begining this is very good shoot, time, lighting. The sugestions personal and if I took this photo , it would be in my "Very nice" collection of images.

Thank you for sharing.

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