#auscycle5week2

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1 – Mikarla

As I said, it was a close call for top spot, but Mikarla’s shot overall just feels more cohesive and beautiful. I preferred the fabric set, and the softer styling here than Laura’s. That is the reason she is above. I feel like this pose is so underrated too, Laura may have a more obviously difficult one, but Mikarla just looks like she is almost levitating, she is so calm and relaxed despite holding that pose. I adore the dropped arm, it is exactly what I wanted in so many other shots that I love seeing it done here. The clothes also look incredible on her, and it is probably the best fashion ad of the bunch. This whole photo is miraculous. The expression is divine too. From head to toe this is a surreally majestic photograph, and such a redemption from last weeks mess for Mikarla.

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2 – Laura M.

Another week where I went back and forth for so long with my top 2, either of these shots deserve first call-out, and Laura again perhaps embodied the shoot better. However, I just prefer Mikarla’s shot, and that fully comes down the styling. I don’t think there is much more Laura could have done to make this shot better, the pose is by far the most unique and interesting one from the week. Closing herself off like that could have really shortened her, but her looks so long. It is really a miracle that she has cramped herself up like that so fiercely, while keeping a tranquil expression. I like the choice to keep the face simpler, given the over the top pose. An exemplary photograph from Laura, and as I said I have no qualms that this wasn’t deserving of the judges top spot.

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3 – Franky

A huge step up for Franky this week, she really produced a superb photograph. I love the angles she created with all her limbs, the strength of her jawline. To quote Tyra, she is modelling from head to toe. I think the left arm feels a tad awkward, but outside of that Franky has managed to make herself look great and allow the clothes to shine, matching the vibe they give off too with the strong pose.

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4 – Clare

This shot used to be in my top 2 of the week, until I was reminded of the full shots existence. From the waist up I think this shot is heavenly, absolutely glamorous and serene. Her face is gorgeous, and the arms are so delicate. She perfectly matches the dress, and sells it well. When you see the legs though, it makes her look like she is 5 feet tall, such a weird illusion. It feels awkward, and drags this down a bit.

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5 – Madison

I respect Madison’s ability to hold up what looks like a fairly challenging pose, and get a pretty solid face. The body looks great here, love how her legs are posed, and I think it shows the dress well enough. Though I wish the front arm didn’t cover it, I know she was fully using that to support herself, but if that had been dropped vertically, this shot would be nearly perfect. The other thing holding her back slightly is the loss of her neck, and I think again dropping the arm and shoulder would have solved that. This is another really good shot in Madison’s portfolio.

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6 – Adele

I think this is a solid shot from Adele. Posing from that angle could have been really challenging, but Adele’s over the shoulder shot feels natural, she has a beautiful line through her neck, the legs are daintily posed. It feels very nicely done in both the cropped and wide shot. The only part I am not a huge fan of is the hand on the hip, it covers more of the dress, which isn’t ideal, I’d have preferred her to place her hand on her chest, so that you can see the full back of the dress. It is the second week in a row though that I lose the shot in the face, again I just didn’t see much potential in her features, and the expression hasn’t wowed me. She continues to show she can pose, but her faces let her down.

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7 – Cassi

I really don’t get the praise this photograph earned, as I feel like Cassi looks slightly awkward here. The positioning of the arms has created an interesting shape, but they feel sprained and lack the grace needed to pull it off. Cassi’s face is normally stunning, but here she looks a bit perturbed. It is a photo I think would read well briefly passing it in a magazine, but falls apart on closer inspection. I also think she lucked out getting a long dress, as with the slight hint of foot we get, I have a feeling they wouldn’t have been that graceful either with a shorter dress.

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8 – Eloise

This shot is pretty underwhelming after last week, it is similar to Leah’s in that I think her body looks good, if a bit bland, but she loses me in the face. Eloise is luckier she has a naturally stronger look, as otherwise this would be ranked right down beside her. The expression is nothing, but I love the way her features have photographed. It is just such a boring photograph overall, even if there is nothing inherently bad about it.