Japanese Garden, Portland - Click image to view larger!

I'm thoroughly enjoying both this image and the wider format one you've posted of the same subject. Of the two, I think I like this one best--for some reason the wide crop makes the other seem a little bit less complete. I really like the angles of the downward trending branches on this one, with the contrasting angles on the left and right, but each consistent within their side. I'm also enjoying the colors a lot. The warm browns and greens of the trunk work perfectly with the colors of the foliage, bushes, moss and water--you've achieved a very nice balance of tone, with the trunk and branches dark enough to serve as silhouettes that set off the colors in the foliage, but light enough to contribute color in their own right. One possible issue is the widening of the large branch at the top center--I'm assuming the width is because the branch forks there? Might it be possible to lighten one of the forks slightly to make that read more clearly? That would also lessen the mass of dark up there. But it's a beautiful image--makes me feel peaceful. 

It is a chaotic beauty.

-BLM.

This is excellent. Well done.

Thanks Lesled! One thing about shooting this is that it helps a lot that I took both images with mirrorless camera which has the tilted LCD screen and that allow me to compose better without laying down on the ground because the tree is probably 5,6 feet tall, my tripod was around 1 feet off the ground with the camera pointing up.

Thanks Bela!

Thanks Sam!

I like Bela's description.  Living Asian art, great capture... Mike

Cheers

PDE

This one I like a little better, most likely I can see the detailed shadow work not only on the trunk but on the ground as well . Set against the light background you can view even the smallest branch with detail. The rock on the left sets this up nice and gives us a artistic interruption.

you have captured a magical mood! We would never have guessed this was only 5' tall!

That is amazing that it's only a small tree--I had no idea! And I opened up the photo again on a larger screen and discovered that my browser had somehow truncated the top 5% of the photo; now that I see it full size, I can see that the upper branch resolves nicely, so please ignore that part of my earlier comment.

Thanks Mr. Mancil!

Merci Beaucoup Pierre!

Thanks Tony!

Thanks Greg & Verena! LOL, that's why I miss it the first time I visit this garden 3 years ago. If you google for Portland Japanese Garden and click the option for image you will see a lot of beautiful images of this tree and just like you I was making round and round of the garden looking for this beautiful iconic tree but never found it 3 years ago. I was told later that it's a small tree and it still took me a good 1/2 hour searching for it this time. Quite simple if one know where it is. 

Thanks Leslie! 

Beautiful!

Beautiful and magic "umbrella", excellent !!! Best regards!

Thanks Janine!

Muito Obrigado Joao!

In a walk time is so nice to have an image like this,old tree with nice ramifications,also light is magic and do a nice visual effect,is a pleasure to be seen.

all my best to you

Thanks Radu!