Hi Dave
Here are a few tips:
Always use Manual focus. Auto focus will often fail to give the correct focus.
Underexposure is quite common with this type of photography. This is due to the reflective nature of mist which can trick the metering.
It always helps if you have some bold colours in your foreground. For example in your image it would have been made much more dynamic if the seat was of a strong colour ... and closer! By doing this we are also trying to put some 'texture' back into the image.
The tree is nice and bold and provides a good frame but if you try to imagine it on the other side of the picture. This would also bring in more colour from the lighter sky.
Using the rule of thirds, the seat could occupy the bottom right position. But remember rules are there to be broken!
That said, it's not easy if you can't move a tree .. let alone the seat
Hope this helps
edit ps btw ... I like it anyway
John