#cycle22week4

[antmrankingskd]

1. Hadassah

Hadassah’s photo honestly astounds me. Everything about it is so cinematic, from the dramatic pose to the way the fabric is spilling off of her. Her profile is so breathtaking and her tranquil expression portrays the possession theme in a more subtle way. While she does look tiny, her arched back is fantastic and her limbs are all positioned well. She didn’t go full horror movie, but her photo is still extremely eerie and chilling in a beautifully calm way. I’m so glad that Hadassah finally stepped up and she did enough to stand out and receive my FCO in an underwhelming batch of photos.

[topmodelranking]

#2 – Lacey

The top 2 were both strong, but the deciding factor came down to how I think the client would prefer to be represented. I personally adore Lacey’s pin-up vibe that she is selling here, but the clothes feel sportier, and fresher. In the end Mame just put that across better than Lacey. Considering this week as a whole though, Lacey deserved first call-out; the quality difference between Lacey and Mame is incredibly close, and Lacey killed it in the challenge. Lacey still looks incredible though; the pose does wonders for her legs, which in turns makes the clothes look incredible. It is definitely the best her body has looked yet. The face is strong too; normally I am so apprehensive with such a short and harsh hair-cut, but I love the way it frames Lacey’s face here. Lacey is giving sex and power simultaneously, and it really works, just not as well as Mame.

[topmodelranking]

#12 – Mikey

There is no chance I’d have cut Mikey this week; even if his shot is on another level of bad this week. This is a noticeable drop in quality from his past work. Part of it can be blamed on awful styling, mainly that shirt - who wants their nipples just peeking out - but I also feel Mikey’s pose feels awkward. The strength in the body is alright, but the way the hair is over his face feels messy. His eyes too just aren’t working; they aren’t powerful enough, and then with the mouth agape it gives him a confused and befuddled vibe. It was the only shot this week I’m not impressed with, so for that Mikey had to come last.

[topmodelranking]

#1 – Mame

It was so clear right from the start of this series that Mame had a tonne of potential, so I was ecstatic that she finally pulled out an incredible photograph. Every single detail is perfection. I love the energy she is serving. The hair flip feels powerful, but she has kept the pose so controlled. It allows the fashion to still shine through though, and I love the way the vibrant colours photograph against her gorgeous skin. It really does feel so fresh, and youthful, with such a modern edge. Maybe it could have gone sportier, but I still could see this fitting as part of a sports-style editorial. I can also understand Kelly wishing the expression just had a bit more of a punch, but as it is it reminds me of Giselle’s Reebok shot, in that the peaceful, almost vacant, expression off-sets the wildness of the rest of the shot. It may be personal taste, but I adore this shot exactly as it is.

[antmrankingskd]

2. Devin

I love how it looks like Devin is swooping in to murder the fucking shit out of somebody. His face is totally ferocious and the energy he’s exerting with all of his limbs makes the entire shot more dynamic. The weird leg position further sells the unnatural/possessed vibe while not taking away from his length. This outlandish, crazy brief really suited Devin’s style of modeling so I’m not surprised that he excelled and delivered a terrific and terrifying shot.

[antmrankingskd]

3. Mamé

Mamé looks like something straight out of a supernatural horror movie. The strange angles of her arms contrast nicely with the straightness of her legs (even though one is partially missing), and I love the motion in her body language. Her face is stellar as well. She looks scary, predatory, and vicious, but she didn’t lose her beauty in the process. Mamé delivered yet another awesome performance!

[antmrankingskd]

4. Lacey

Lacey really nailed the possession aspect. Her arched back is amazing and it looks like she’s in the middle of having a demon take over her body. Her face, while gorgeous, isn’t fully connecting enough and I wish she had committed to the serene vibe or just gone full blown crazy; the middle ground is unsatisfying. She also could’ve pointed her toes more. Overall it’s a strong photo of Lacey, but I wanted more from her.

[antmrankingskd]

5. Nyle

I liked all of the Top 5 shots, but Nyle was the weakest out of that group and I don’t think he deserved his FCO. The major issue is that he completely lost one of his arms, and his neck looks too short as well. His face could be punching through better as well since his eyes look kind of sleepy. Other than those issues I like his shot. The pose is super dynamic and kind of out of control, which definitely fits what a possessed person would look like. I was expecting Nyle to have a stronger shot since he was killing it on set. It’s a memorable, but very overrated photo.