#nzntmcycle2week7

[antmrankingskd]

1. Nellie

Nellie’s picture is out of this world, it’s so edgy, fierce, and creative! Her pose is genius. She modeled every aspect of the outfit flawlessly, and I love how she interacted with the fake tiger and framed it with her arms. She looks like a super villain offering up a toast to the viewer’s demise. And that face! Her bangs are partially covering her eyes but it doesn’t even matter because there’s so much incredible intensity in them, and her bone structure is crazy amazing. It’s wild to me that Nellie was somehow in the bottom 3 at panel this week, her picture is spectacular!

[antmrankingskd]

2. Michaela

Michaela is serving sugar, spice, and everything nice! She’s been giving a similar face in all of her photos from the start but this is something totally new. The closeup is commercial perfection, her smile is dazzling and her eyes have a glint of humor. Normally having her shoulders raised that high would come across too tense, but when it’s combined with her expression and the rest of her body language it gives a very “aw shucks!” vibe that adds to the overall cuteness of the shot. She modeled the shoes well and also managed to stay looking tall while sitting. This was a home run for Michaela!

[antmrankingskd]

3. Elza

Before I get to the comments I have to bring up that there’s no way this was Elza’s best photo. The girl gave so much on set and had so many creative ideas, there had to be better options. Despite my complaints about the photo selection I still think this is stellar! I adore her retro boat show model-style pose. I wish she extended her legs better, but she propped herself up well and utilized the set and her props excellently. The angle of her face is absolutely stunning and her jawline is marvelous, plus that judgmental side-eye contrasts nicely with what she gave with her body. Elza’s photo is very strong, but she very likely would’ve been in the top spot if one of her better shots was chosen.

[antmrankingskd]

4. Dakota

It’s a strong set of photos as a whole but my top 4 were the clear standouts of the week. Dakota amped things up in a big way! I love everything about her pose. The curves she created with her body are amazing and she worked all of the props/styling from the top of her head down to her perfectly pointed toes. Her face is beautiful, but there’s something a bit tight/hesitant about her expression in the closeup that’s holding her back (she would’ve been in my top 3 easily without that issue). Dakota went balls to the wall on set and it resulted in my favorite picture of her so far! 

[antmrankingskd]

5. Courtenay

Courtenay did an awesome job of showing personality/character in this photoshoot. She’s tipsily leading a wine and canvas class and it’s hilarious and spot on. Her expression is so campy and cheesy in the best way possible, it’s almost like she was caught mid-conversation. I love the way she held out the paintbrush and she has legs for days too. It’s a silly and cute picture of Courtenay, which totally works for this assignment. 

[antmrankingskd]

6. Lara

Lara’s energy is fantastic, but she made the mistake of sitting in the chair and I think her shot would’ve been more effective if she was standing (especially since she’s using the vacuum). Leaning forward while being seated makes her pose too compact and doesn’t display the dress well either. What saves this is her face. She really looks like a distressed star from a 1950s sitcom whose shenanigans have caught up with her, it’s wonderful! Lara’s trip to the bottom 2 at panel wasn’t out of the question, but I’m happy she was given another chance.

[antmrankingskd]

7. Danielle

This shoot was not in Danielle’s wheelhouse and she had a lot of trouble loosening up/letting go on set, but she did a passable job all things considered. While I see a tiny bit of discomfort in her eyes the overtly cutesy smile is convincing. The girly-girl pose is great, but the styling is throwing off her proportions a bit (she looks short, which has never been an issue for her) and the limp hand looks odd pointing away from the camera. At the end of the day Danielle’s shot isn’t bad, but since I like/love nearly all of the pictures this week she slips to the bottom 2. 

[antmrankingskd]

8. Holly

Holly stands out for all the wrong reasons since her photo is the worst by far (and probably the only legitimately bad picture this week), but what’s new? She might have been mildly sabotaged since the photographer asked her to look sad, which isn’t the right approach for this assignment. Her face is a train wreck; host Sara compared her to a cold/lifeless mako shark, which is devastating but perhaps not entirely accurate since I think mako sharks have a little more purpose and pep behind their eyes. There’s something weird about her posture and she’s gripping the mic stand like she doesn’t know how to use her hands. As fun as it’s been to dunk on her portfolio, if Holly had survived this week I would’ve lost all hope that there was good in this world. Her elimination was a huge relief and severely overdue.