Salmon River Rain Forest

A couple of weeks ago I Took a hike up the Salmon River trail near Zig Zag. I did some bushwhacking and came to this area of mossy branches and trees. I shot the area for about an hour and came up with this shot. I want your opinion if the chaos works in the shot. I know there is a lot going on but other folks I've showed it to say they get lost in it. Let me know your opinions.
D2x
12-24 nikon lens @12mm
5 seconds, F 5.6
Polarizer, processed in LAB color space

There's an underlying sense of order in the chaos, Erik. I agree with others that you can get lost in the image. At first glance, the seemingly chaotic leaning of the trees tend to conflict with the more graceful limbs, trees, and branches, particularly those on the left. But if you spend a minute or two just absorbing, the real beauty and order come through. This is one of those images that really call out for contemplative viewing. Excellent.

Erik I love this photo as it really shows what the PNW is.

Erik, crop right down to the center of this photo, it'd be weird, wild and wonderful!

Im in agreement with Mark on this one. I love the effect the light is having on the moss but there is just a tad to o much to absorb. Getting rid of the forest floor might help the eye focus more on the branches above. I would also look at maybe squaring the trees to the edge of the frame ( even though the camera was likely level for the shot ) Regardless, what a unique place!

Erik, I like this comp. My preference is a lot of detail and support so that I can keep revisiting and finding newness each time. I like the chaos of the branches...but and struggling w/the tree stems going every which way. My only suggestion is the tilting inward from the left and rt side....its prolly natural tree trunks leanings, but it looks like lens distortion or over compensation to correct. Great colors.

Really nice colors in the image - really gives that "rain forest" look to it. I've tried similar images but sometimes it's hard to keep the greens looking natural. You did a great job. I do agree with other other members on maybe trying to square things up a bit, but some of those darn trees are just "leaners" LOL!

Nice job with the photos.

I would say the image seems somewhat static. The angle of view seems standard to me as if you are just looking at the trees. I did get lost in this composition, but maybe that's the point. Coming back when there is more fog might be helpful to convey depth. The color is definitely the centerpiece of the image and i definitely love it.
This photo takes some contemplating.

I think there's a nice pattern, both horizontal with the mossy branches, and vertical with the tree trunks. What I noticed that captivated me was the mossy branches against the soft pale green background. It doesn't look chaotic to me because there's a uniformity to the image and it's not boring; there's so much to see and the visual adventure is as good as your bushwhacking probably was! I'm enjoying the image a lot, Erik.

This really works for me. Great strong verticals and beautifully highlighted horizontals. Part of the beauty of a forest is its complexity; I don't see anything wrong with an image that captures that complexity and presents it skilfully.