Yeah, the tree is very nice. We'll just have to put aside the fact that there's not perfect sunset behind it, or rolling hills. ;D The tree itself is so elegant and detailed. Each branch has another smaller branch on it, making the edges of the tree lighter, against the silhouette of the thicker branches. The light hazy blue of the sky, is lovely too. Maybe if you cut this picture to just the sky and the tree, and maybe a little bit of the tree tops in the background, you'll have got a very nice picture! Ashley

I certainly like what you tried to do here. You need to make the tree stand out from the background though. Perhaps get closer and shoot from a lower angle to get the tree against the sky or if the background was snow covered perhaps. Good idea, keep trying.

I have to agree with the other comments above... I can see that the subject is full of potential. This is where digital photography is so cool, when you can take 15 or 30 shots from all angles, distances etc, and discover even through trial and error the most pleasing composition. I feel that you are trying to take two pictures here, one is the detail of the tree, and one is the context it is in. As the background is so shadowed, the context is lost, and this is why I feel that the comments above are correct. From this angle - in this light - a close up or altered angle would further improve the composition. Great tree though - It is quite striking.