same building different light.....

[okmqaz42]

Two vagely similar photos of the same building. The first was taken at dawn and highlights the beauty of the building and has the long light of dawn. But the second shows the building thronged with tour groups and the scene has more energy.
The third photo is the same building from a different angle but taken at sunset.

What do you like/dislike about them and if you had to pick between 1 or 2 which would you choose.

As always thanks for having a look, I learn so much when I visit this forum.
B

1.

Duomo-true at first light by okmqaz42, on Flickr

2.

Guess Where I Am! by okmqaz42, on Flickr

3.

Duomo by okmqaz42, on Flickr

[edG]

nice set

[Iguanasan]

My personal preference is for number 1. I like the feeling of the early morning light and the stillness of the scene. Number 2, to me, seems bland. The people, for my taste, distract me from that building. I like the light in number 3 as well, but there's something missing that I can't just put my finger on. Maybe it's the fact that I find the details in the front of that building amazing and they're not in this shot.

[Greg_R]

Number one for me, the sunlight hitting the building and the shadows on the street are nice. Also, I find the building behind on the left more pronounced in the second shot which is distracting for me.

[Mad Aussie]

I like #2 ... the colours just seem to sit together well and more detail is evident.

[okmqaz42]

Thanks for the comments everyone. I have to say my personal preference is the first one, not because it is a particularly good photo but because it is of one of my favorite this in the world, a city very early in the morning when no one else is around and I have the streets to myself. I try to have a dawn walk in every city i visit and I always fine it very satisfying.
Looking back on the photos now it has an interesting progression for me. The second photo is more or less the first one that I took in Florence, I was a bit overwhelmed by what I was looking at. The evening after I took it I reviewed my photos and I would have sworn that I had nailed that building. The third photo was taken at dusk in the long light of the golden hour, no super wide angle this time!! when I reviewed my photos that evening I thought with the light that it was a better picture. Then the next day I went for my dawn wander and took it again, picture 1, I like it witout the people and in the dawn light but more importanly I like that picture one is making me want to go back and try again!!