In response to the OP,
@Smoke --
You want to know how a tru newbie sees this tree, in this single photograph? OK, then. I may get laughed off the forum, but I'll be honest:
I think its ugly. VERY ugly. The first thing I see is that pot. Its just so wrong for this tree. It's too deep, not wide enough, and the color literally pisses me off. I wanna see a brown rectangle. I wanna see more masculine lines and feet that offer visual stability. Then I see those wires at the base. They're ugly. There's a weird root dangling over there. Is it cool? Is it ugly? Its just kind of....there.... Then I see a bulging, reverse taper right in the center, nicely framed and showcased by dead and dying, spindly, disproportionate twigs and thin, off-color foliage. The needles are long AND sparse, which is an extra sexy combo to my untrained eyes. At the apex, the viewer is greeted by a blurry-assed branch that seems dead set on poking me in the forehead. I mean, why is it even there? I appreciate that the photo has a shallow depth of field, though, because at least I can see a little bit of dimensionality.
Aside from those minor flaws, great tree, dude.
Here's the deal: It's hard for a newbie to critique trees because most of the time, we still don't have the knowledge needed to correct the issues we see.
***I'm a newbie, but what I would do is..... (lol sry
@Adair M )
...But honestly, what I would probably do is:
I would hate the composition because the pot is a terrible match.
I would be frustrated because the needles are too long, look yellowish, and I still don't know how to fix it.
I would spend ten or twenty minutes looking at the tree every day, and thinking "fuck, way too much water.....or....wait, not enough water?"
I'd wonder whether it needs fertilizer, or shade, or maybe it wants me to sing to it....
I would focus on the reverse taper.
I would focus on the loopy-looking branches and wonder if they should be straightened out more. (Those big, U-shaped swoops remind me of the Cheshire Cat's grin.)
I would wonder if that root is a cool feature or an eyesore. I'd eventually get the nerve to cut it off, then I'd worry that I killed the tree.
In short: I'd fiddle with this tree until it was dead. Super dead. And then I'd come crawling back to Bnut for some more studying.
I'd work on more trees, and seek advice. I'd keep trying. I'd keep learning. And I'd try to stay humble and willing to learn more, no matter how good my creations become. 
