Very nice Mark. I think you did a good job explaining what you liked about the second picture. And you are right, it is very "mysterious." And there might well be people hidden behind it. I am impressed as well with your use of the word "monotonous," which you used correctly.
I don't know if you did it on purpose, but this is a skilled writer's trick, using two sentences very close in style and syntax (word order) and then breaking the pattern with a very short sentence:"Maybe it doesn't have people and volcano. Maybe it looks too monotonous. But I like it."