Hans:
I enjoy the compositional discussions, and appreciate your choice on cropping the branches on #1. I generally tend to 'read' misty images as calm, quiet, perhaps a bit mysterious, so perhaps my cropping choices are influenced by the feeling they invoke in me! I think the slight slope to the ground does give the image a more dynamic feel than flat ground would have.
I also appreciate this site because of its cosmopolitan members, one is exposed to many varying styles and tastes. Being from the US, there is very consistent style that is practiced in bird photography, which is my main area. Good to be open minded! One of the reasons I am doing much more back lighting rather than the "approved" over the shoulder light for my bird images.
Cheers
Randy