Thanks Duncan, for your feedback. I really do like that spot removal tool.
Initially, when I went out shooting for this assignment, the first image I took had less distortion, but I thought it was less interesting. The 2nd one (submitted), I was seeking a different perspective, would it have improved the image if I had cropped it? I guess I was also concerned with ‘amputating’ the image in the wrong place. Attached are both the initial and cropped image. Thanks again.