Just humble and personal observations... :)

The first one...
...It's impressive for its colors, composition and darkness..!
The composition makes this photo a disturbing, yet beautiful one for its emphasizing on a directly and seriously (threatening, perhaps) looking eye; for its submerging the most of the face in liquid (thus, hiding the most of the personality and communicability)...
The eye is very definitive: eyebrow, lashes, whiteness of the sclera, color of the iris, darkness of the pupil, reflection on the cornea...

The second one...
...IMHO, it is plain...
Yes, the eye is an attractive subject matter here too, and the image overall deals with another mood perhaps, but it does not have that strong and striking aura of the other...
Still, this one looks like those "old-time-and-hand-colored" photos of cosmetics ads...

Would you like to post the whole image processed like the first half here..?

Regards... :)

No leave the second alone. there is soo much one can do with the eye. Put is onto a sky background and pretend it is god. Put it into a tunnel and get that evil big brother look. Place it on a firy background and get the devil eye. Ect. Actually It is quite interesting. Plus it shows us what Gunsman did. What's wrong with cosmetic ads?! Bsteph

I surely leave the second eye alone... :)
Just pointed out my sincere opinions for these images' very own selves...for infact I liked those images (the first one much better though)...

I know that it's quite interesting (and I think that a well shot eye is always interesting), and I know that they all show us what Gunsan did, and I really do not have anything (esp. wrong) to do with that... :)
Just pointed out my sincere opinions, and tried to discuss them for their own, not for their possible uses...

Nothing is wrong with cosmetics ads, and esp. with the "old-time-and-hand-colored" ones, or the ones which look like that, and I personally like them much... :)
It was my sincere opinion without any kind of underrating...

Any harshness or disrespectfulness in my opinions or in my bringing them forth..?
I do not think so: they were my humble, sincere and peaceful opinions, as I've stated already...
To say simply: the first image told and gave so much to me, while (and when esp. in comparison with the first) the other seemed rather plain to me...
Is this so disturbing to state..?

Sorry if I disturbed (or will disturb hereby) anyone...

Peace and creation (copyright: Usurer)... :)

I really like the first image for it's mysterious qualities, and the second eye is fine too, but would be out of context with the feel of the first pic (the "vibes" I get from that picture anyway)...bsteph, I love all your uses for the eye!

The first one really jumps out at you, sort of expect her to rise up out of the water and be a mermaid or something (although the theme from "Jaws" did come into my head, too, LOL)! I like the second one for its, i dunno, soft quietness (?), it struck me as sad, somehow, like the reflection could be a pool of tears.... Beautiful, creative images, both of them - as always, Gun! :-)

I'd have to agree about liking the first image due to it's mysterious qualities. It gives you a definate feeling when you look at it, even if it may be an uncomfortable one. The other image seems plain, but my guess is that it's because I saw it after the first, which is the image that really packs a punch.

Gunsman, first one is fabulous! I agree, original pic does not somehow work as it should and second one is, bit empty, but that first, reeeeeally good piece, I'm diggin a lot. .n

I agree with you Alpha, The cropping and clarifying makes it much better, even if there still is something about the whole photo I dont like, but I cant really say what.