Very difficult to do well.
You should have a look at Ansel Adams' Aspens.
In his 'Examples: The Making of 40 Photographs', Adams writes about the reactions and responses of those who viewed his images. And to the question, "Then why does it look like it does?", he states, "Such questions remind me that many viewers expect a photograph to be a literal simulation of reality; of course, many others are capable of response to an image without concern for the physical realities of the subject. Either a photograph speaks to a viewer or it does not. I cannot demand that anyone receive from the image just what was in my visualization at the time of exposure."(p64)
Thanks for the tip Donald. Having just looked at Adam's manificent aspens I've got a feeling that if I'd studied him before I would have been so inhibited that I wouldn't even have tried this shot, but then again I might cycle down to the same place tomorrow and give it another go. Black and white?
Jim, remember you are not shooting Adam's shots. Everything that is successful about those shots is to do with light so its important to observe how the light plays on your trees. It may also be worth trying more abstract shots by moving the lens longitudinally or playing with the focal length (if a zoom) during the exposure.Having just looked at Adam's manificent aspens I've got a feeling that if I'd studied him before I would have been so inhibited that I wouldn't even have tried this shot,
Thanks for your input. It wasn't until I looked at this shot again this morning that I saw how much overkill there was - horrendously over-sharpened.