A long time ago, I asked you all to weigh in on my author photo (something I should redo at some point ;)), and now I'm asking for your digital opinions again. I did a complete redesign of my website from top to bottom. It's no longer a multifocused site as the old one was, and though I am planning to redesign it again in the next couple of years, most of those changes will be in the backend.

However, I created the original template using a website development software. I've done a fair amount of tinkering, so the resemblance to the generated site is minimal, but it did offer a header image I thought would work with my theme until I could find something better.

Valerie Comer offered a picture she had taken to use as a base and I've spent a fair amount of time manipulating it into what I wanted, only to discover that I've got a fundamental contradiction. I love the distance view with mountains and clouds and hints of a world behind, but the image itself is too distant for the message in a bottle that was supposed to be there as the original inspiration for my theme.

Anyway, this has left me wondering if I'm clinging to that original theme too much, or if I should just give in.

So, here comes the question:

Which of the below images do you think best represents my theme and looks best. I have put the wrapper around the new one so that you can see how it would look. I have not put a bobbing wine bottle with a scroll of paper inside in the closer one yet, but I probably could. After you've commented (if you haven't already), you might enjoy a peek at my new site. If nothing else, the extent changes should stun you. If curious, you can compare using the link to my old site at the bottom of the left sidebar.