#asntm1week9

[antmrankingskd]

1. Sofia

Sofia has such a mesmerizing shot this week! Her face is so gorgeous and I love the complexity of her expression; she’s both regal and fierce while showing sorrow/fear too, it’s like she’s a mermaid queen who’s angry and scared at the photographer for invading her home. The pose is far from perfect since her legs are too compacted and she somewhat lost her arms in the surrounding fabric, but I still adore how it looks like she’s emerging gracefully from the darkness and she made the outfit look sensational too. Sofia’s been in a bit of a slump recently so I was thrilled to see her rise back to the top of the pack with this wonderful photo!

[antmrankingskd]

2. Jessica

The top 2 definitely stood out for me and I would’ve been cool with either claiming the top spot. Jessica has my favorite pose of the week! I’m really impressed by the control she has over her body while being submerged. The leg position is shortening her, but it’s neat how she’s seated on an invisible throne and it was smart of her to incorporate the extra floating fabric and make it look like part of her outfit. Her face isn’t as strong for me though. She went for a serene haughtiness with her expression but appears pretty sleepy in the closeup, and the angle isn’t very flattering for her either. Even with the facial flaws Jessica’s photo is outstanding and her FCO at panel wasn’t undeserved at all!

[antmrankingskd]

3. Helena

I kinda loved that Helena came into the shoot with a character in mind (she wanted to embody Medusa) and she definitely took a lot of risks on set. She hit her dramatic pose so fiercely! I love the extended limbs and her pointed toe, plus the outfit really shines too. I wanted more fire/rage in her eyes, but she still appears very focused and she brought a lot of confidence. However, her lips are pursed too tightly and I don’t think she caught the light in the best way. I was ambivalent about Helena’s elimination: I did feel like she had one of the weakest overall bodies of work out of the remaining contestants, but this shot arguably could have saved her.

[antmrankingskd]

4. Aastha

Aastha’s striking face really carries this picture. She looks gorgeous and it’s awesome how her seductive stare is vaguely sinister as well. However, her pose is a mixed bag. I love how she positioned her legs in a mermaid-like way, but the visible arm seems out of proportion, and the other has gone missing in a really bizarre way. It’s like her booty turned into a vacuum and is sucking her arm right up in those cheeks like a limp noodle. Aastha certainly delivered an interesting shot, but there are too many issues to rank it any higher.

[antmrankingskd]

5. Kate

Kate was probably the worst at controlling her face underwater. It seems like her cheeks are puffed out in the effort of holding her breath which caused her whole face to tense up, and her eyes are too dull and wonky on top of that. Thankfully her pose is fairly strong. I love how she’s practically sprinting through the water in an effortless way, and the outfit looks amazing on her as well. Kate potentially could’ve had one of the best shots if she had gotten her face together.

[antmrankingskd]

6. Stephanie

Stephanie’s bottom 2 placement last week was questionable but I fully agreed with her landing on the chopping block this time. Her pose is just a jumbled mess, the arm is overly rigid and she didn’t work the clothing whatsoever. Her face technically photographed well, but she looks like she’s wincing uncomfortably. In the end I was actually fine with Stephanie surviving this week, but she justifiably could’ve been sent packing at this point. Still, I’m proud of her for even doing the shoot since she said that she had nearly drowned while scuba diving a year prior and had troubles with being underwater.