Jose,
I think that you are failing to distinguish between a formal upright and other bonsai styles. Flynhamer's tree is a formal upright; the one you posted is not. Formal uprights, because of their structure, darn near require some foliage occasionally obscuring the trunk. Sometimes an informal upright or slant style can get away with a clear line of sight to the trunk, especially if the foliage begins relatively high and if there is a fair bit of dead wood visible. The tree you posted meets these criteria. (And additionally, it might be improved by some foliage crossing the trunk, but that's another matter.) It tends not to work with formal uprights. Look a few dozen masterpiece formal uprights - how many have completely clear trunk lines?
But you don't have to take my word for it - we can make a virtual. Here's the tree with the trunk fully revealed.
Best regards,
Old Mister
