Very nice placement of the tree, really gives the image a kick.
Are your nice white tennis shoes, still nice and white?
I would have thought you could almost hide under the bellows of an 8x10" camera, they are certainly big enough.
Working very hard for a photograph, doesn't give you any more greenie points from a viewers perspective. However you will certainly remember taking that photograph; I think that counts more from a personal point of view, regardless.