lone pine

you've got a good(mangled) tree(especially for a pine tree) for an image but I have a few ideas(my opinions)first-the image needs to be a little sharper(focus)-what was your DOF?,second-what lens did you use-a wide angle,lowering the horizon more and possible giving more sky above(loooking for a darker sky,with some dramatic clouds)the tree IMO would give more visual impact.Lastly,did you use any filters-pines usually(unless snow covered)aren't going to get much lighter so you could use a red or orange filter to you advantage here(especially with clouds).I always like seeing mangled trees(or winter trees alone in a field).Again,just my opinion,hope I've been of some help.

jim, thanks for the ideas. I was using a yashinon 80mm lens, which is pretty much standard on the yashica 124G. The day was a very clear day and I did use a polarizer, but I wasn't sure using a red filter on such a clear sky would have much of an effect. As for the clarity: thats more a function of the scan I think. The print is very clear. The depth of field was at f11. With this added info, what tips would you suggest.
Mark

Mark,
with your lens,find out what is the optimum f-stop range is(usually neither end of the spectrum is best)-for my Tamron lens for example it's in the f11-f16 range. .A polarizer usually only darkens the sky at a 90 degree angle from the sun but the effect may not be uniform over the entire area-it can also be used in conjunction with a red filter to give almost jet black skies if that is what you're looking for.My only other suggestion would be to go back on a day where the sky is more dramatic and have fun with it.As for the scan I have the same issue-I do have a sharpener on my program but it still dosn't come close to the real thing.

Red filter (#25) will darken the sky (if clear blue) and green. However it will have little to no effect on the horizon which often is white, will not change overcast, sometimes looses detail in the shadows and can be a real *%@#& in low light conditions.
With that said, red #25 filter is my most used