I'd like to elaborate on number one. I've actually seen images kind of like this that totally worked. This one doesn't, though.
I like the idea of the plane of focus being in a not-obvious place, with the obvious and more prominent object being obscured. The problem here is that there's nothing IN the plane of focus that is really of any importance, and what's there doesn't really seem to have any kind of interesting relationship to the house.
But I think the TECHNIQUE is solid enough. It just doesn't work with the subject matter.
Hypothetical example: maybe is the house had been a day care center, maybe if the tree had been little kids frolicking in the grass, and maybe if there were some hypodermic needles in the grass where the plane of focus was, then that might work a little better. In that case your decision to focus on the grass would make sense because then you'd be pointing out something that was otherwise unseen. And the relationship between the two objects would create drama because of the element of danger or whatever.
Just an example though. I'm not suggesting that you stick dirty needles in the grass and get kids to run around near them. I'm just using that as an example to show why this isn't working. Rather than using your technique to show something that's secret and hidden and important, you're still just sort of showing something that was already obvious: there's grass in front of the house.
