-- I just Came to Say Hello --

In my head I call this image, "The blue sock of doom," because it punched me in the face as soon as I opened the image.

The way you set up the composition for this this photo is very awesome. It's set up on a grid. I think if there weren't so many lines it wouldn't be as noticeable that the socks are just a little low in the image.... yet the lines are part of what gives it life and makes the soul of the image stand out. I don't think it's bad that the knees show. In fact, i feel that they are a strength in the image because the legs give a good light/color contrast to the lines and more subdued colors, and are the only smooth shapes in the image, so they are a good offset to the rest. The bear does have these elements, but the strong point is the knees and legs. All of these elements belong. So with images such as this, the kind of thing that might help balance more is not to remove any of those shapes that give vitality by cropping (it doesn't need to be moved up), but to be more mindful of your empty spaces. More empty space at the bottom would take an image such like this and add even more life to it. The vertical lines there, in this image, if there were more space at the bottom, would only add to the image, because they would lead the eye up to the focal point, rather than the focal point just being obvious. Images are journeys of the mind and the eye. Though It's not thought of much of the time when seeing an image, it's in the feeling and soul. The journey within the image is often the xfactor.

All that said, it's a great image. One to be proud of. My critique doesn't imply that I feel the image is flawed, because it's definitely a work of art. This isn't poorly composed. It is very well laid out, and I really like your use of light, color, and shape in it. So as i said, in images such as this, what you think about the empty spaces can offset the things the rest is filled with. I can tell by looking at much of your work that you have a strong sense of how you want the elements in your pics to exist. You don't just take pictures. These are compositions, and are quite artful. I think you do a very good job.