First things first: SMIZE.
Secondly: SMIZE WITH CAMELTOE.
Uh... what? This episode was kind of zzz. I'm pretty glad Courtney went home, because she had no potential, but Rachel's elimination totally bummed me out. Even if I didn't like her as much as I did (she was probably my favorite girl, now it's probably Laura), her reaction was just so sad. :(
As for the photos...
1. Erin: She’s working the hell out of this photo. This may make no sense, but she both blends in and stands out. That aspect gives the photo a really editorial aspect. I love her pose; it’s really dynamic and interesting without being too posey or looking like she’s trying too hard. The face totally works, too. I’ve said it a million times… that makeover doesn’t suit her in person at all, but it’s amazing in photos, and she looks like a china doll here. She’s got a ton of makeup on and that combined with a strong expression made several other girls look pretty drag, but she looks decidedly feminine, if still forceful and, okay, FIERCE here. I really like it. I only wish, like in the case with almost all the girls that were standing on the ground and not on the horse itself, they photographed her whole body.
2. Lulu: I really like this photo. I think it’s adorable. I understand how people could think she looks blah or whatever, but I think it’s got a great casual vibe to it. That pose is just so cute. She looks like, “Who, me? Oh, you caught me!” I love that. And no, everyone, it doesn’t look like she’s grabbing at her vagina like I’ve seen said 500 times. God. Her hands are just kind of… hanging. They're pretty clearly not groping herself or whatever. Anyway, her face totally works with that whole cute vibe, too. I can’t remember if it was her or Sundai that the judges whined about the actual smiling, but I think the smile really works here. It’s almost like a coy Mona Lisa smile going on, and the nice light in her eyes only adds to that.
3. Nicole: The judges were right in that she made herself look gigantic here (height-wise, she’s obviously not pudgy in any way). I seriously love how tall she looks here. And she’s TOTALLY KILLING ME in the face, in a good way. I love that expression. She just put so much so much in her eyes and face in general. She’s not getting a higher call-out because there’s something weird about her pose, but it’s a great photo for her. She needs to work on her “DURRRR” expressions in person, but she’s an awesome model for sure. And haha, it looks like the jockey’s staring at her ass here.
4. Brittany: She really disappointed me last week, but this photo is pretty darn awesome. The pose strikes me as uncomfortable, but I can’t even imagine how the heck she did that pose on the horse, so I’ll give her a break here. The hands are very awkward, though, and that’s hard to ignore. They’re probably why she’s as low as she is on this list. She looks kind of old and drag in the face – I don’t think she can take a ton of makeup, especially with her makeover, to be honest – but the expression is actually great. It’s so strong. Again, it’s a real credit to her that she was able to do that on a freaking horse, and with that hat. Hopefully she puts out pictures more like this week, and less like last week, from here on out.
5. Laura: Love her. She needs to keep working it like this. I am not totally crazy about the pose because it’s kind of awkward, especially in that arm, which has some weird stiffness going on, but she gets points for really going for it, especially in such a weird position on that horse. I love her facial expression. It’s so strong. Frankly, it’s almost a little bit too strong, because she’s coming off a touch drag, but the makeup doesn’t help there. It’s a good face, though. She’s got stunning eyes. The first five photos this week were all pretty great, and to me, Laura, Erin, and Nicole are emerging as real frontrunners.
6. Rae: I loved her pose, to be honest. I thought it was one of the best poses of any of the girls. It’s really interesting and actually kind of sexy. She looks kind of short, and that leg in particular makes me pause, but I appreciate that she went for a more dynamic pose, which most of the girls just totally ignored. In the face, it’s just kind of weird. She definitely didn’t ~smile with her eyes~. Those eyes are just blank and it’s kind of weird. Oh, and the mouth kind of bothers me, too. I don’t think the eyes would as much if she didn’t have the weird beaver teeth. But seriously, Tyra, how is this in any way Madonna? No. Maybe the hat. Maybe. I think this photo works more as a whole than as a sum of its parts. Like, looking at it, I see quite a few flaws, but it really works overall.
7. Kara: Ummm… it’s fine. I really wish they’d photographed her entire body. It’d be better that way. As is, it’s fine, but pretty plain. I like how there’s an attitude to the photo and a sort of subtle and latent sexiness going on in her pose. Her face is fine, but she looks a little old. Good expression, though. It ties in with the subtle sexiness. There’s not a whole lot else to say here. It was kind of plain.
8. Courtney: Pretty sizable step down here. I know they got on her about her face, but I actually kind of like that here. She looks really, really pretty with such long hair, and more high fashion than she actually is. That said, with the squinty eyes and the “unf I’m Megan Fox” mouth, it almost seems a little too obviously sexual. The body pose is a little too unsure for me – her pose is like she’s readying herself on the horse and wasn’t quite ready for the shoot – and she looks not only short, but definitely chunky in the thighs. I feel bad for her, getting eliminated on what was essentially just a moment of weakness, but she didn’t really have any potential so I’m hardly crying.
9. Ashley: Half of me likes this photo, and half of me wants to LOL every time I look at it. I know the judges complained that this was just the test shot, but I kinda like it the same way I liked Tahnee’s Chanel photo from AusNTM C5. It’s got a sort of nice simplicity to it, and the eyes are surprisingly sharp for a test shot. That said, she is essentially just standing there like “DURRRRR I got braids over my boobs IDK what to do!” And something in her proportions looks very, very off, though I think photographing her entire body would have helped there. It’s not terrible, but she could have done better, and I would have liked to see some of the other photos, even if they were supposedly OMG OVERPOSED!
10. Sundai: This photo really isn’t so bad, but looking at them all a second time, I think she belonged under all of these girls. The main issue is probably a photography thing, since she looks so goddamn short here! I know she’s the shortest one, but damn, she just looks so tiny. Had they photographed her legs, it probably wouldn’t have been so bad, since her legs do look longer than a 5’3” girl’s. The pose is kind of… trying too hard and not particularly original. Her face is pretty, but overall, I don’t see “model” at all in this photo. She looks extremely pedestrian. And the fact that she looks like twelve years old weirds me out, too, because she’s, like, naked. Personality-wise, I love Sundai, but she’s gotta step it up.
11. Bianca: Her pose is okay. She looks very short, but it’s interesting, but she looks like she’s getting into position and wasn’t ready for the photo. I think that might have been improved with a better face, though, which is really where this photo fails. She just looks soooo unsure and unready, almost comically so. I mean, she still looks totally gorgeous, but the expression is just so “durrr? I’m not ready!” I do disagree with the very popular opinion that she looks drag in this photo, though, but the expression is just so damn bad. Oh, and Tyra, when will you learn that very dark black girl + ice/platinum blonde hair = terrible, terrible idea?
12. Jennifer: Jennifer, since I’ve pretty much accepted you’re the pre-select winner, STEP IT UP! Yeah, she’s all the way to the bottom of the list… again (though it’s better than last week, I think). First, the good. I like how tall she looks in this photo. That’s… about all there is to say on the positive side of things. The pose, I can see what she’s trying to do, but it’s just sooo awkward. She looks like she’s trying to stop herself from falling off the horse. There’s too much tension in her arms; she looks like she’s holding on for dear life. And that face is just AWFUL! Her expression is totally dead, her eyes are way too… hooded or something?, and you all know I hate beaver teeth. Seriously, her expression makes me want to laugh every time I look at this picture. This photo, like last week’s, is hardly one of the worst of all time, but I really hope she improves.
