Northern wi..Critique Please

[wiphotoman]

I took these photos in northern wi. The first one was taken in Ashland and my camera just about froze to my face..lol. The second one was taken in Hurley wi on a little back road going underneath some old railroad bridges. Let me know what you think. Thanx.

[DerekSimon]

For some reason I really like #1. With all the snow in the background, the tree simply draws my eye. Great angle also.

[joedlh]

I don't particularly like the way you cut off the bottom and right side of the tree in #1.

In #2, there's too much contrast and it's difficult at first glance to make out what I'm looking at. It looks like an interesting location. However, the harsh light was not your friend. I'm not a fan of B&W. However, there are times when it's appropriate. With all due respect, this is not one of them. A little color would have differentiated the bridge work from the greenery. Composition-wise, if you got a little lower or positioned yourself in a different place, you could bring out more of the bridge in the background, making it a study in parallel lines.

A great shot would be one taken while whoever wrote the obscene graffiti was performing his art. There had to be a bit of acrobatics in that endeavor.