I really like the second one - it's funny how easy it is for a picture like this to twig a memory because it lacks any of the details that make it recognizable to me (in a very good way!). I can almost hear the seagulls.

re: photographing yourself - does it help if you try your shot from an angle instead of straight on? (kind of like skipping a stone?)Or is it more of a function of the shape of the object making it difficult?