Nice shot, the DOF is a bit off, and I feel the red bark is too prominent to really accentuate the negative space. My I eye travels to the foreground before noticing the back.
I love these trees and what they do to shed their bark. The only comment I have is how out of focus the lower leaf it. If it wasn't such a large part of the image AND it wasn't coming right out at me it wouldn't be such a big deal. But it really overpowers the clarity and crispness and is a big distraction. Beautiful colors and concept and it fits with the assignment.