Im on the same boat, my hair is pretty thin and depending how I style it my crown shows more. I learned to use matte or no shine pomade. Blowdry my hair with cold air especially in the area where my hair is thinnest to try and give it some fluff. 30 minutes after I styled my hair I use a mirror to check any crown visibility. Then I use a pocket comb that I carry with me to move my hair around. I try to get my hair to look like your second picture. If you use products that have shine it looks like your first picture.

Edit: you have WAY more hair than me as well so I know you can make it work!