If I'm honest, both shots are a little lacking. Here's why:
In the first, don't get me wrong, the scene is nice, as indeed are the colours. However, for me the shot is quite unbalanced. You have clearly ignored the rule of thirds here (which in itself is fine, and is more a guideline than a rule) and opted to sacrifice foreground in order to capture more colours and texture in the sky. So the reason I feel this shot is unbalanced is because there is no lead in at all. The eye is introduced to the photo and goes straight to the far left tree, and goes no where else. As a result, the colours and textures in the sky are, in a sense, redundant. So, my advice here would be to look around on the ground for someting unusual or interesting, and get closer to it. Perhaps try a lower viewpoint and angle the camera down a touch to give it a chance. You have caught the colours and textures in the sky lower down in the frame also, so give the foreground a chance
. By all means use the same focal point... but having it lead into, and indeed further towards the middle of the frame will help people appreciate the sky more.
With the second, again, I might have gotten closer to the ground. These bold lines are very powerfull, but I feel you are too far from them. Don't be afraid to get closer to them, and really make them stand out in the frame. Also, once you have done this, perhaps angle the camera up everso slightly, (and I really do mean a tiny amount) just to get a tiny bit more sky. The subject matter in the middle of the frame is great: Strong lines, differing textures and trees for good meansure
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Loads of potential here imho, just need a few adjustments in the composition department and bobs your mothers brother