#antmcycle4week1

[jaytopmodelrankings]

1. Rebecca

Rebecca showed so much promise with this, it’s a shame she declined rather than improved. This is one of those high-fashion sort of shots that most people wouldn’t understand at first. The pose is so quirky and full of angles. I really like how at ease she seems to be despite the odd posing choice, it immediately draws you into the outfit because you don’t have any discomfort to fixate on. I always thought Rebecca look slightly short at panel, so I’m glad to see how she lengthened herself really well. Plus, she looks so fabulously unbothered, I really wish she had kept this up because she could have been a true contender.

[jaytopmodelrankings]

2. Naima

Our eventual winner begins with a surprisingly strong photo. Naima is giving me Ancient Egyptian royalty fierceness. The way she’s reclining over the police car is so reminiscent of depictions of Cleopatra relaxing under palm-bearers and enjoying refreshments while her servants slave away for her comfort. The clothes look beautiful, especially the capri pants, and add the sultry, confident gaze she’s delivering to the camera lens, and it’s cohesively a formidable start for Naima. Nothing about it reads as amateur.

[jaytopmodelrankings]

3. Christina

The brief was right up Christina’s alley, considering how unique and other-worldly her features are. The styling really suits her, and she’s absolutely owning it. She was probably the girl who met the brief the most out of everyone this week, since her vacant, wide-eyed  expression really works for an extraterrestrial vibe. It just makes Christina stand out, and she hasn’t forgotten to model her outfit- I really need those high-heel boots. She really excelled this week.

[jaytopmodelrankings]

4. Kahlen

Right from the start, Kahlen poised herself as a frontrunner. This isn’t as amazing as the judges made it seem, but it’s still pretty great in its own right. Even in the first week it was easy to tell that her face was her best asset. It’s so striking and cool, and you all know how much I appreciate when one of my girls gives me good neck extension. I like how she took a different approach to her posing, and she’s managed to catch the light well for her top half. When it comes down to the issues here, there’s the limp, semi-hidden right arm, which I wish was a strong and well-placed as her left. Also, were the girls watching each other during the shoot because why did like 80% of them all go for the wide stance? It shortened everyone, and Kahlen was no exception. Besides some flaws, this is a stunning photograph.

[jaytopmodelrankings]

5. Michelle

Funnily enough, I think something that what helped Michelle’s shot was the fact that her styling looked the least alienesque of all. It enabled Michelle herself as a model to really shine through. The way she’s leaning back is so effortlessly glamorous, and relaxed but yet alert enough to not be dismissed as lazy. Her body looks so limber and beautiful, the natural way she’s posing really worked for her and the clothing. I’m not a fan of her mouth- the closed eyes I can forgive since they fit the serenity of her pose leaning against the post, but the mouth is too smoochy and out of place.

[jaytopmodelrankings]

6. Brandy

This clearly isn’t the most creative of shots. Brandy is doing the classic Modelling 101, but at least she is committed to it, which again proves that simplicity can work if you commit to it enough, especially over the overly-contrived hesitance that some of the other girls displayed this week. The outfit is showcased well, and the miffed expression works too even if it’s a recurrent go-to model looks. In short, Brandy stuck to the basics, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, and she executed them well anyway. It shows potential for improvement.

[jaytopmodelrankings]

7. Tiffany

As overrated as this is, it really isn’t as bad as I have seen some people say. Yes, she’s turned her head too much to the side so we really don’t get to see her expression that well, but her profile looks gorgeous. The pose is rather simple, but it lets her outfit shine. She’s also a girl who’s managed to shorten herself, though, and the left arm is off. It’s just a forgettable picture for me that was only applauded the way it was because of the story arc.

[jaytopmodelrankings]

8. Sarah

Minus the face, everything else is solid. Sarah’s pose is the right amount of relaxed without forgoing all tension, which allows for her to show off her outfit quite well. I would have preferred for her to twist the torso ever so slightly just so that the negative space between both arms was more balanced from this angle. Nevertheless, the face doesn’t work as well as the body. She look rather mature, and if you cover the eyes (which are actually quite good here), you can detect the strain in her mouth, that looks like it’s in mid-sneer.