#cycle21week8

The right side is definitely the stronger half of Raelia’s photo. The graceful movements of her arms are great and her body looks amazing. The profile angle shows off her awesome jawline and the sensuality of her expression is gorgeous. The left side is passable, but boring. I feel like she’s just resting on pretty and the pose seems too novice (her body still looks amazing though!). I’m not sure why Raelia was placed in the bottom 2, this is a satisfactory shot overall and she did a much better job than Will and Mirjana.

It is kind of sad, but like Jiana from last cycle Ben definitely took a nosedive once there was no chance of returning. This shot has a lot of the right elements, but nothing seems to go together. The pose needed a bit more force, and attention to detail on the positioning of the hand. The expression on the face is alright, but here the buzz cut isn’t working with the stubble, and just makes his face look a bit messy. It isn’t the worst thing in the world, but after what Ben produced last week I am thoroughly disappointed.

My love/obsession with this shot should be pretty apparent since it’s the background image for my blog. There were a lot of strong photos this week, but no one even came close to Shei. This. Is. Everything. The shot on the right is astonishing. She’s throwing her entire body into that insane backbend and the way she’s flinging her arms to make a flawless whirlwind of feathers is breathtaking. Her face just destroys me, the light is hitting her perfectly and her almost pained and sorrowful expression is gorgeous. Her decision to speak up and ask for two different colored wings to match her hair really paid off as well. While I would prefer this as a solo shot, the Shei on the left is still incredibly strong. The hair whip is spot on, the outstretched arm is just dramatic enough, and I love the expression of near-orgasmic bliss. I actually kinda love(d) Kelly as a judge, but I will hold a grudge against her until the day I die for giving this a 6. Even Miss J’s 8 score was blasphemous. Not only is this hands down my favorite shot of cycle, it’s one of my very favorites from the entire series. 

What did Kelly have against Shei this cycle? Kelly lost all credibility she had the moment she gave this shot a 6. This is clearly the greatest shot of the week, yet somehow it got the lowest single score from a judge. Ridiculous. My love of this shot, like most, comes from the shot on the right. That image is iconic, and takes this shot to another level compared to anyone else, even with the slightly weaker image on the left. The other one isn’t even bad, it just feels a bit more over-the-top. It doesn’t capture the same grace the other one has: with the arch in the back, the drama of the wings and the breathless nature. It almost looks like she is bursting into feathers; it has that same cinematic quality. That pose is just the epitome of perfection, and Shei was robbed of her rightful first call-out this week.

Being muscular isn’t a bad thing, but for me Denzel’s muscles almost look disturbing here. His six pack is so defined, to the point where his pecs just look oddly flat. He clearly had no awareness of how his body was being flexed, and could have done with lowering his arms. His face might have redeemed it slightly, but he has just gotten lost in the darkness. I’ll be honest I had lost hope in Denzel at this point. In a very strong cast, he was the one member I was sure just didn’t have the potential to be a model.

Chantelle didn’t need to comeback to a first call-out to prove she was back with a vengeance. Giving her it just seemed so forced. This shot just isn’t up to the same standard the top 5 hit for me. Chantelle does look good in both the poses, but both shots just feel like a poor man’s Shei from this week. The one falling back just feels a bit stiff, and the arch in the back needed to be more defined, and then similarly the one attacking just feels posed. I will also say this is the first shot where Chantelle’s vitiligo isn’t enhancing this shot. With the feathers being different colours, and flying about, I think the colours all just get a bit lost. Her skin is so striking, that it favours simpler shots where we can just appreciate it. Still, the whole shot does have an artistic vibe coming from it, which is stronger than those below it.

Another killer shot from Lenox! I love the self-interaction, and this is probably the most cohesive double shot of the week. The Lenox on the left is incredibly beautiful. I love the contrast of her hair and the wings with her skin, and the pose makes her look like a bird about to take flight. Profile is yet another angle that works for Lenox and her passionate, angsty expression is a side we haven’t really seen yet. I might actually love the shot on the right even more. The dainty flick of the wrist after throwing her hair is genius and her body language is beautifully dancer-like. Her expression is also more soft/sensual which balances nicely with the harder expression of the left side. Lenox continues to be a frontrunner!

Bitch, where did you come from?! This is everything I’ve wanted from Ivy and more. The whole photo is so ethereal and elegant and bird-like. Her soft, slightly somber expression perfectly fits the setting and her profile is simply stunning. The pose is spotless, from the slightly curved back, to the flung back arm, to the delicate placement of her other arm over her chest. This is an amazing showing from Ivy and I have nothing to criticize, I just personally preferred two other photos this week.