The first design with the vertical photo’s is the most appealing to me.
It’s more clearer and I can read the text better (you could add a little text-shadow to it though).
I’m not sure if I like the way you applied the photos. My eyes have trouble focusing on the photos. try to square up your images or use a masonry grid like pinterest does.
Same goes for the text below the header in Islands in Design 2, use it as you did Header image 1.
About your homepages: in homepage 2 the text is much clearer to see… However I like a navigation bar to be on the top of the page.But because your background image is grayish on top, the color white is bad to read… I would either add text-shadow to the nav-links… or add a little gradient on the navbar itself.
About your fonts:
Don’t use script fonts to much, they are hard to read. Especially for older people. I do not know what your target audiance age is. Do not use all caps either.
You have used them as navigation links for your blog, I think a normal font would be better for it. You could however use script fonts as a header on your blog. I do like the script font on the vertical photos, but maybe the subtext should be a normal font (but this is a personal opinion).
If you want to check if your text and colors are readable (also for people with disabilities) then I would suggest this: constract checker
And this one is a bit clearer to your own eyes: constrast-ratio.com
Some things to read:
when-is-it-acceptable-to-use-a-script-font-in-a-design
where-to-use-handwritten-fonts
pick-best-font-style-for-website
Edit: a tip I would also like to give you The blog image with the date, header and little text: the date looks more like a button to me. Which part of it is clickable?
I do like the amount of spacing you use in your hero’s. This makes it clear and readable!
Also: are these your own photographs? If so: Awesome!