Great first submission.
Your first photograph (the beast) is a classic example of a photograph that needs both technical and artistic attention. For starters it lacks organized composition. A few of the most glaring errors are seen in the amputation (cutting off) of your primary objects around the 4 walls of the photograph. Most distracting for me however, was the obstruction of objects by the various layers of the shot. For example, you have part of a house in the background of the shot with a brick wall in the foreground. However, the foreground wall and the background house don’t interact together very well. This is a very common mistake in photography. The shapes and lines of each of these objects create a very disorganized look. For instance, look at how you can see part of the windows of the house and just a sliver of top of the house wall before the roof begins.
It’s always important to pay attention to how your objects and layers interact with one another in your photographs.
Your second image solves this problem is distraction by limiting its focus on just 1 element of the first photograph. This photograph is a dramatic improvement both technically and artistically. You have a clear focal point, you use a shallow depth of field to help create the illusion of 3 dimensions (this also helps you isolate your main area of interest), and you’ve used a limited color palette to help simplify your composition.
Overall, great first assignment. You’re off to a great start.