This upload makes me want to go out and try something like this. Thank you for the inspirational image. You need to clean your sensor, two prominent dust spots. (I have the same problem and need to take my camera in for a professional cleaning...dust, the bane of all photographers...grrrrrrr)

You seem to have some chromatic aberration (purple lines) around the branches. There is a way to remedy this in photoshop (which you are not allowed to use for these contests

Have you considered a closer crop at the left (viewer's left)? This would eliminate the white blank space as the tendency for our brains is to always gravitate to the brightest pop on the canvas.

A well-seen photograph and makes me want to walk there along that path.

A very poetic lyrical photograph...I think it needs a poem!

Did you know your horizon line is slanting to the right? I like your composition (not centered) and those birds in the distance add to the melody of your image.