#cycle16week3

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3 – Kasia

And here we have the first actual change for my call-out this week. For the most part I agree with my past self, though I think I needed to knock Kasia down a spot for being another model who really seemed to make this more of an individual assignment. Molly and her reflect each other in the poses, but besides that there is little connecting them. This shot would be far stronger too if Molly had just been edited out, which I don’t think should be the case. Kasia has still made the dress look good, but the real strength of the shot is the face. It is weird that this is very reminiscent of her shot last week, but the slightly vacant eyes and open mouth instead contribute to the fantastical vibe the shoot has, so work so much more.

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1. Jaclyn

Jaclyn is the star of this shot. She looks absolutely radiant and is fully embodying the whimsical wonderland feeling that this brief called for. She and Dalya are vibing so well together and I love how Jaclyn is leaning into her partner. The dress looks absolutely sensational on her and she’s adding shape to it by slightly arching her back. Finally, her face is flawless. It almost looks like she’s the source of light in the scene. Her expression is full of drama and I adore the dreamy way she’s looking up into the heavens. Jaclyn desperately needed to improve this week and she definitely did so with this glorious photo.

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#10 – Sara

Sara really just looks lost here. Had Dominique not been eliminated because she wanted to quit, then Sara definitely should have gone. She just is so bland here, her face and expression just offer no inspiration, and her body is so bleak. She clearly had no clue what she was doing on set, and this photo proves that.

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5 – Hannah

I think Hannah’s shot nicely compliment Brittani’s, as while they went more understated, Hannah took the more typical ANTM high fashion posing style. The slightly hunched physique, and the way the arm is posed. It could be seen as a bit cliché, but it works in making the dress look good. I think the real strength of the photo is the close-up; an incredible beauty shot once again from Hannah. There is a slight sense of madness that feeds into the brief in the eyes, and that jawline is superb. Definitely the overall strongest shot of the week, even if I think both were outshined by a few other models.

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1 – Dalya

What a redemption from Dalya, after two weeks of questionable shots, she produces this mesmerising photo. As I said with Jaclyn’s shot, the two of them have worked so beautifully together, creating something that genuinely feels like a piece of art. It has a level of whimsy that is just missing from the other shots this week. Dalya gets the top spot though as I just find myself drawn to her more, it is pretty equal between them in reality and I fully understand other preferring Jaclyn. I live the direct eye contact with the Camera, and that level of intensity of the stare. Even with the camera glare, I instantly connect with her face. The pose feels elegant too, and perfectly showcases the dramatic gown. All in all it just such a sensational photo.

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2 – Jaclyn

I don’t know why I didn’t have Jaclyn in the top 2 last time I did this, as now it seems so obvious that her and Dalya deserve the top praises this week. It is unfortunate Dominique so heavily drags down this shot, as without her this would be easily my favourite photo, and one of my favourites of the season. The two of them just meld together so beautifully, properly playing off each other and elevating the shot. Jaclyn has taken a softer more youthful vibe, contrasting with Dalya’s energy. I love how she has lifted the gown slightly, and the contrast with her skin and the dark colours of the gown and her hair. Jaclyn’s face has also photographed incredibly, very strong jawline and a defined expression that clearly reads in such a wide shot. Overall just such a sensational showing from Jaclyn, and her first standout moment so far this season.

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4 – Alexandria

While I definitely didn’t agree with Alexandria’s first call-out, it was mainly due to her attitude. The actual photo is really good, and would be a contender for first if she had just interacted more with Monique. So many of the duos just felt like they were standing next to each other, I just want something else to bring them together. Alexandria herself looks gorgeous. The expression perfect fits the vibe of the shoot, and I really like the way she is playing with her hair. Really just wish she had played off Monique better.

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6 – Brittani

Brittani and Hannah probably have the strongest total shot, and while it doesn’t seem like there is much teamwork, they compliment each other nicely. They really could be flipped in either spot, but my eye has always just gone to Hannah that little bit quicker when I look at this shot. Brittani has the more extravagant dress, so I think it was a smart choice to go for such an understated pose. There still feels like conviction in her pose, so it doesn’t feel haphazard like Mikaela or Rune’s shots did. Her face is also absolutely beautiful, her makeover looks great framing her face. Brittani continues to showcase herself as a very strong model.

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7 – Mikaela

Every week so far my main takeaway from Mikaela’s shots is that she is absolutely stunning, as it is all she has really proven. This is another week where her beauty shot is gorgeous because of her natural bone structure. For how poorly she was performing on set though, I was surprised she got a shot this strong. I actually like the downward glance, as paired with the slight wind blowing her hair it makes the photo feel like a caught moment. But this was clearly a coincidental lucky shot. As for the body, the dress looks good but there is no active attempt to make it look better. Mikaela has gotten this high out of luck really, and I think her bottom 3 placement was honestly fair.

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8 – Molly

Molly has everything working against her this week. This is the beginning of the era of that makeover, her styling is probably some of the weakest of the shoot, and Kasia has one of the strongest dresses. I don’t think she has done terribly, but the shot just feels a bit basic. After her masterclass last week, I am disappointed. Kasia went for this dreamy vibe which felt more on brief, whereas Molly has more intensity. I wish she had tried to mirror Kasia’s choice, it would have helped link to the two more besides the simple mirroring of the post. Would have elevated the entire shot, and Molly’s performance especially, as right now she is the weaker half.

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9 – Dominique

This is definitely Dominique’s weakest showing so far, but if she hadn’t potentially wanted to leave I think she would have stayed. There is at least something interesting facially, which keeps it above Rune and Monique, but I could easily see myself having Dominique bottom 2 for this. She is at least giving an expression and her face looks pretty, even if I think it was the wrong choice for the shoot. It also further disconnects her from the dreaminess that Jaclyn and Dalya are serving, and really you could crop her out of the shot and it would only make the photo better. She is also failing to display the dress, keeping her arms so close just creates a block of fabric, and any distinction is lost. It really is such a disappointment given how beautiful her first two photos were.

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10 – Rune

My bottom 2 remains unchanged, and my choice for elimination this week too. Rune had produced a strong photo last week, but so did everyone in my top 5. In fact, this week the bottom 5 were my top 5 last week. Rare to see that happen, but everyone in this season had their chance to shine. Rune clearly struggled on set, they were awkward and stilted, and it translates to the photograph. Their body language is uninspired, and their face is lifeless, with its glazed expression giving me absolutely nothing. It has also photographed really flat, which is a disappointment given how strongly it has been captured in the previous two photos. This would have been well deserving of elimination if Dominique hadn’t seemingly wanted out of the season.

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11 – Monique

After last weeks glorious showing, this is such a disappointment. Her and Alexandria were not a match made in heaven, and it shows in the photo for Monique’s half. She looks annoyed and over it, the eyes are virtually rolling back in her head, and the lips are pursed so tightly. There is a tension in the arm too that is causing the dress’ shape to be distorted, and given that is the product that is a huge issue. There is just very little that is redeeming about this photo, and if it wasn’t for a solid portfolio thus far she would deserve elimination for this.

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#1 – Dalya

8th call-out, really? This is the clear winner of the week, Dalya nailed every aspect. She is like some gorgeous fashion reinvention of the Mad Hatter. She has made the clothes look so expensive, and her pose is to die for. Plus I love the character she seemed to embody. There is a maturity which plays off of Jaclyn so well. Her expression has such a complex  glare, an all-knowing quality. Dalya looks like an absolute supermodel here.

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4. Dalya

I’ve seen a lot of fanfare over Dalya’s shot but I don’t fully get it. It doesn’t really leave a lasting impression on me and I think that other girls had more memorable performances this week. Don’t get me wrong, this is easily Dalya’s best shot to date and it was criminally underrated by the panel. Her pose is subtly dramatic in the way she’s placed her hand up by her face and how she’s bringing motion to her dress. I love her chemistry with Jaclyn and she’s definitely selling her outfit. Her face is strong as well, her bone structure is beautiful and her eyes are connecting confidently. Other girls may have stood out to me more, but props to Dalya for finally delivering a photo that lives up to her potential.

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6. Hannah

Weirdly enough this is probably my favorite overall shot this week, but it’s greater than the sum of its parts: Hannah and Brittani look amazing together, but if they were photoshopped out into solo shots I wouldn’t be nearly as impressed. Not that the two of them did poorly though, I still love what they brought to the table. Hannah is a tiny bit below Brittani here. I love her broken down body language and how she’s drawing attention to her gloves, plus the dress is beautiful on her. Her face is very pretty, but her expression isn’t giving me much and she should’ve taken the whole dreamy thing further. Hannah did a great job overall and she’s proving to be a consistent competitor.