You wanna be on top?:
1. Teyona
Teyona proves that the best way to be on this photoshoot was, in fact, rather simple. Clearly, her pose is hardly dynamic, but she completely stands out among the children and whatever the hell Benny Ninja is doing in the background (LOL @ his face). The best part of this photo, however, and the reason why it’s #1, is her spectacular face here. It’s such a good angle on her face, so strong without being draggy, and there’s a real story in those eyes. I do wish she’d been a little more interesting, but seeing as the girls that tried to be interesting this week were mostly terrible…
2. Allison
I love how she manages to make herself and her pose look interesting and editorial (while not losing essential parts of her body, Natalie and Kortnie). Those clothes look amazing on her; while Allison’s face is usually pretty much the same from shoot to shoot, she totally knows how to pose and work with her body maybe the best of all the girls. She easily stands out and her pose could be either a fashion pose, or a pained one, both of which are appropriate for the shoot. Allison still needs to vary her face, even though she looks really beautiful and interesting every week.
3. Aminat
She really looks like a mother (but not old!) or an older sister aiding this gaggle of children, which was perfect for the photoshoot. Her face looks soft but still alert, there’s a beautiful wistfulness in her eyes, and like Teyona, she stands out while having a relatively simple pose. I don’t know why, but she reminds me, here, of images of Mary in many old art paintings, and that’s a REALLY GOOD THING for this shoot. I think it’s the way she’s holding her skirts. My biggest issue is that unlike Teyona, I don’t really see an energy in her pose. She looks incredibly droopy and tired, and not like, fitting in with the theme tired, but just tired tired. But it’s still a quite good picture, especially compared to a lot of others this week…
4. Natalie
Best of the MEH photos. This would have been a lot better if not for two things in the photo, because you can tell that, like Allison, she makes an active effort to be editorial and interesting in her poses every week, which she succeeds at and I give her credit for. First of all, she’s totally missing her leg and foot. I realize she propped those under her skirt, but it honestly just makes her look like she has something totally weird under her skirt. Secondly, and probably more important in the “meh” column, is her FACE. Every time I see it in close-up, I laugh, because I see some girl about to chew out the photographer for taking so long because she has a terrible headache. Or at least, that’s what it says to me, heh. But she looks beautiful, totally stands out, makes an interesting pose that works minus the vanished leg, and in the non-close-up, her face is PERFECTLY pained. But in close-up, not so much. Hah.
5. Tahlia
Like last week, not as good as the judges are saying, not as terrible as the internet would have you think. This would be one of the best photos of the week if it fit the theme at all. It’s a beautiful, strong, and interesting pose, she stands out a whole lot, her face looks absolutely gorgeous and even kinda sultry and sexy… but she looks like some friggin’ Spanish flamenco dancer, and that doesn’t go along with the whole impoverished immigrant thing at all. LOL, the two little black girls in this photo are so clearly America’s Next Top Model for Cycle 27 and 30 (cuz black girls can only win on seasons divisible by 3, SEEEEEEE). They are awesome.
6. London
I think she looks elegant and completely wistful for the life she presumably left behind as an immigrant, which is a great background to give to this photo. She absolutely nails the mood and theme of the photo. Unfortunately, she forgot the modeling part. She looks about five feet tall, her face might be wistful but she looks old and not particularly pretty, and her belly makes her look kind of pregnant and isn’t flattering at all.
7. Sandra
BOOOORING. Teyona and Aminat went for the “not a lot of action” thing, and they absolutely nailed it, in my opinion. I think it’s because they had passion in their faces, whereas Sandra just looks really dead here. I only see tired and old in her face, unfortunately. Sometimes she really works that terrible makeover, but not at all here. She looks like an old lady. She only stands out because she’s tall. I mean, it's not awful... but it's not by any means any good, either.
8. Kortnie
She looks beautiful (when she was standing there in the B2, all I could think was holy shit, she is all kinds of gorgeous, one of the prettiest girls ever on this show), welcoming, and motherly, yet her eyes still have this pain that is perfect for the shoot. So why is she juuuuust barely escaping the B2? One reason: HOLY SHIT, WHAT HAPPENED TO HER BODY HERE?!?!?!?! Seriously, from her shoulders up is all you can see. It’s totally bizarre and disconcerting. But again, the face is really good and her arms are good too… but yeahhhh. She just devolves into a blob after that!
9. Celia
I like her pose, I think it’s edgy (though Allison schools her there and shows the clothes off much better), and her face is fine if not really exciting or in agony or whatever. This is bottom two because OH MY GOD SHE DOES NOT STAND OUT AT ALL! The first time I saw this photo, I honestly thought it was mislabeled. I had to search for quite a few seconds to find her… not good at all. That sassy little girl that does stand out is clearly America’s Next Top Model Cycle 33, after the two girls in Tahlia’s photo.
10. Fo
She's my favorite and I think her photos have been too good to eliminate her at this point, but that doesn’t mean this isn’t the worst picture of the week with a bullet. Like Tahlia, she totally didn’t get the theme of the shoot and she looks like some swooningly-in-love Spanish gypsy or something. She looks incredibly short and squat and totally unmodelesque. But worst of all is her face. I maintain that her makeover did her absolutely no favors, and it’s clear here. Her face is just caught at a terrible angle, it has a weird expression, and it looks like she has sideburns. She looks hideous, when she’s one of the most beautiful girls there. Unfortunate. :(
I want it all (with shorter explanations):
1. CJ - This? Flawless. Probably the best photo I've ever seen in any MMaS in history. It's so beautiful and devastating in a way... and of course she didn't even get a mention for it.
2. Kerryn - It's beautiful and almost achingly vulnerable. The mirror ball was an extra obstacle that she had to get over and she did so marvelously.
3. Branden - I'm not crazy about his face here (it seems very "I'm so hot, check me out!") and I still think he's pedestrian, but I love his energy and almost his wistfulness.
4. Amanda - The emotion in this is beautiful and almost overwhelming. I honestly don't care that she whines about her son when she can turn it out in pictures like this. Oh, and I have no clue how this is "too sexy." Her walk this week, um, yes, DEFINITELY, but not that.
5. Jonathan - It's a little generic and there's something wonky in the eyes of his reflection, but it's frigging Jonathan. Of course what he did was basically perfect. I love how his eyes are so hurt and yet so strong all at once. SO glad he didn't get robbed of immunity THREE WEEKS IN A ROW.
6. Colin - I agree with this photo's critics that say it's not unlike an '80s CD cover or something, but the intensity in his eyes is great. I love the tension in his hands. He's definitely communicating something.
7. Salome - The emotion in this shot is stunning, but she looks absolutely ugly, unfortunately
8. Gabriel - It's very "good-looking person just standing there" but at least he looks good, unlike a lot of these other photos...
9. Shawn - For all the constipated grunting he was doing during his shoot, this was the best he could come up with? It's not offensively bad, but there's nothing there...
10. Laury - Love that body (though it makes her look terribly distorted), HATE that face.
11. Sandhurst - YAWN. Seriously, Sandhurst, step it up.
12. Mountaha - what the fuck is this? She doesn't fit the assignment at all and she looks terrible and ugly.
13. Jordan - I can tell that this bitch is never going to take a photo I like. Her face is DEAD and she looks terrible. In your own lame words Jordan, too bad, so sad.
