Help me compose an image

I'm in love with this tree (no, not in an unnatural way ) and have been watching it for over a year now. The bank is eroding and I'm not sure how much longer it will last. I've got a number of comps of this and am having a really hard time deciding what works best. It's the roots that catch my eye. I've worked and reworked various images a number of times and finally thought I'd ask for the advice of my fellow NPNers. So, if you guys had to shoot this, what would your comp be? I should mention, there is a slow moving creek that, on occasion, makes for nice reflections.
Processing wise, B&W would be my first choice. In this image, I just desaturated things a bit. BTW, I have no attachment to this shot. This tree is about 5 miles from my home, so I can stop by anytime.
40D, 17-40, 2 shot vertical stitch, a little cropping, contrast, sharpening, and desaturation.
Thanks for any tips.
Paul

If I had the time and patience, I'd do a total PS makeover on this and make it look like one of those museum dioramas, where you can see what's going on underground. I'd put some burrowed tunnels in there, with some little varmints living life below the surface. I know this isn't what you were looking for, but the first thing I thought when I saw this was that it looked like a "Secret World Beneath the Forest." You know, like an ant farm, except with mammals and such...

Yes, insane people do think alike because the first thing i thought of was "it's an ant farm!" Id just trust your instincts, Paul, the shot is already cool and i think B&W could do some nice things too.

I would digitally carve a face and have the roots as a beard. And Sepia would work as well as B/W. Beyond that, there really isn't anything to recompose just shooting this from this vantage.

I'd try to isolate the roots, with or without a reflection. Very cool tree.

The roots are really interesting. The b&w or sepia would be a great touch. Maybe try to catch the scene in an warmer light, a fog or snow if you can. One of my first thoughts was that a closer crop of just the roots with the top of the bank in the top third of the frame and a reflection in the creek might be cool. Just a few thoughts...but it is nice as it is...

I like it cropped just above the roots, to show a short section of the trunk and the roots below. A slight crop from the bottom, too. This would be a fun tree to photograph in the abstract.

Paul, you say you love this tree, and that the roots are what are drawing you to it. I have read those that actually translate what they feel into great photographs(Muench, Adams, etc.) try to isolate why they feel the way they do about their subject. I know, sounds like some kind of strange cathartic analysis, but in doing this, they are more able to communicate their feelings, I guess. I don't know if it will help to just sit for a few minutes and contemplate what you want to convey. Maybe you already have. I am just not sure I'm picking up your love in your photograph. Maybe approach it as a "portrait" like you would a family member. By the way, this approach hasn't worked for me yet. Too neurotic, I guess.

I would concentrate solely on the root system. They are fascinating and would make for endless comps close up. Neat tree.

Pam

Help You Compose a shot???????


to compose a photo you gotta first grab your camera, bring the camera up to your face and look through the view finder, then you use rule of thirds and a few other things for the composition...........gee I would think you would already know that

Thanks for all the comments everyone. If I had the PS skills the ant farm thing could be really interesting. James H's face idea is pretty good too. Anyway, thanks again.
Paul

Since you're going to reshoot it, go back when there's some snow on the ground - which will provide a whole new opportunity to make an image that I think you'd really like. This would be a tough sell for B/W as is, IMO. (I also like a 4x5 crop here - eliminating any hint of water. I like this color version, and the texture that fills the frame.)

And I like the idea of using telephoto to isolate the interesting elements here - esp. those roots.

Thanks Jesse. I also thought snow would add to this. I'll certainly be returning here on a regular basis.