#7 - Coura Fall

Coura is so unbelievably gorgeous that sometimes I let that influence my critique of her photos. I do really like the first picture; I think the shy, cautious expression on her face is stunning and it matches her body language. The second picture is not my favorite. From the shoulders down to the waist, she is displaying a proud, confident position that reads a little too athletic. That feeling is lost in the legs, which look awkward, like she doesn’t know what to do with them. The face is falling flat, overshadowed by her pose. I do think Tyra made the right decision in keeping Coura’s hair the way it was, but I prefer the sleek, timeless look of the first photo.

#8 - Brendi K Seiner

Brendi K has been afflicted with something a little strange - her body is not modelesque, but her face certainly is. She has a fashionable masculinity to her facial structure, but it also affects her body to a less appealing degree. Her shoulders are broad, her torso wide and her legs thin. This masculinity has only been exaggerated by the blunt haircut, and it’s unfortunate. Her face in both photos is beautiful, but there’s a lack of diversity. Her poses are basic and not terribly notable, but they aren’t bad pictures. 

#9 - Kyla Coleman

Kyla is one of those models that could have definitely benefited from proper, detailed and direct constructive criticism at the start of the cycle. I feel like ANTM has become more of a “well, let’s let them run wild and see who happens upon good modeling” rather than a show that teaches these women actual modeling techniques to help further their career. In early seasons, there would be workshops on runway walks and posing, but now all we get is seeing them fail and the judges laughing or acting shocked and disappointed. Kyla’s arms in the first photo are so awkward. I can see the intent, but the closed fists just emanate a petulant child. With different arms, the image would be good. I actually like the second shot; it isn’t a great makeover shot, but it’s very marketable and it reminds me of an American Apparel catalogue picture. It would have been so much better if her hand was relaxed on her hip, though.

#10 - Liz Woodbury

These look like two completely different people, it’s so bizarre. I’m not totally digging the first picture; the pose is weird, and she gives me actress vibes as opposed to model. Great facial expression though. The second photo is uncomfortable, because you can see how hard she’s sucking in her stomach. She literally looks like she stopped breathing and is struggling to hold it in. Face is tense, body language looks stifled. Also I hate how photoshopped her lower body is, but that’s not her fault. 

#11 - Sandra Shehab

Sandra bugs the ever living hell out of me sometimes. I notice with many of her photos this cycle that they’re just sliiiightly off. Like her eyes in the first picture are juuuuust teetering over the edge into sleepyville, and in the second photo, her arms are juuuuust too far back, her stomach juuuuust too far out and her eyes juuuust too wide. So annoying, especially given Sandra’s potential. 

#12 - Erin Green

These photos aren’t terrible, but they’re incredibly forgettable, which is the reason why she’s ranked so low for this shoot. I legitimately forgot about Erin when I was making my ranking list in my notes. The first photo is so bland and dull; she’s got a case of the dead-eyed stare. Her body looks great in the second one, but her face is falling flat once more. These pictures are disappointing, but unfortunately, not unexpected.

#13 - Shanice Carroll

It’s no secret that I love this girl and her look, so it pains me to rank her so low. The majority of issues that I see with Shanice (and, actually, with most of the girls) are issues that are repeating with apparently no constructive criticism to fix said issues. For example, in both shots of Shanice, her head is too far back, and we see this in almost every shot of her this cycle. If Tyra wouldn’t have waited until the episode before Shanice is eliminated to tell her to lower her chin, maybe she would have performed better. Rant aside, I actually kind of like the first photo of Shanice. The eyes are emoting beautifully, which is a rare moment for her. The pose is a little awkward, and again with the chin, but it’s almost endearing. The second photo is crap. I don’t know why she thought that pose was okay, but she did. The left arm has been shortened to a ridiculous amount, the torso and legs are confusingly going against each other, and the eyes are sleepy. 

#14 - Christina McDonald

The first photo is fine. Sometimes I’m struck by how gorgeous Christina is, and her eyes are giant and stunning. But the second shot…I…I just….I’m genuinely at a loss. This may be the worst shot in the history of ANTM, at least that I can recall. Nothing about this is modeling. If Christina were inexperienced in modeling, like Shanice and Kyla, maybe this would be vaguely understandable, but Christina is one of the contestants that has modeling experience. There is no excuse for this photo. Even if it were in between poses, how would you even come to this pose in the first place? Christina is a no-necked, green-haired, squatting monster. There isn’t a single good thing about this image.

#1 - Liberty Netuschil

How the hell did this not get FCO? Not only that, it was number eleven?? What’s happening?? This picture is incredible. Beautifully maternal, Liberty is genuinely glowing. She’s giving me goddess of vertility vibes with the garment, the blissful facial expression and the extended leg. She is modeling head-to-pointed-toe in this shot, and she’s perfectly on brief. The amount of potential Liberty has is insane and extremely under appreciated. 

#2 - Rio Summers

I go back and forth between Rio and Khrystyana for the number two spot, but for right now, Rio’s winning. This picture looks straight out of a magazine (maybe an ad for maternity wear). The lighting, the windswept hair, the smize, the serenely cool facial expression. Rio has nailed being maternal and still being sexy, without it seeming cheap or inappropriate. She’s met the bohemian aspect of the concept perfectly as well - this girl seems like she’d work at an essential oils store in 1996. I dislike the large earrings, but they weirdly work. 

#3 - Khrystyana Kazakova

Just about everything in this picture is divine. I love the gently extended leg, the protective way she’s holding her belly, the loving look on her face. She managed to tap into her maternal side and produce a beautifully motherly photo without crossing into matronly, and without the experience of actually being pregnant (as far as I know). Literally the only thing I dislike about this photo is that thing on her back, but that’s a styling issue and nothing to do with Khrystyana. 

#4 - Jeana Turner

This is a beautiful photograph, and I would have ranked it higher, but it seems so inappropriate for the brief. Jeana has slipped back into her way-too-sexy vibe from her first impressions photoshoot. The suggestively raised shoulder and the mouth-agape facial expression are just not working for the concept. Had this been a normal boudoir shot, this would have been number one, but not for a bohemian pregnancy shoot.

#5 - Erin Green

This, I think, is one of Erin’s better photos in the competition. She’s meeting the brief perfectly: very bohemian, very peaceful and serene, very maternal. As the only mother of the contestants, it may have been easier for her to tap into the emotions of this concept, because this is one of the only times we see real emotion behind her eyes. The pose is safe, but effective. Erin looks beautiful - a model though? Not sure yet.

#6 - Maggie Keating

Welcome to the saga of bizarre eliminations! While this isn’t my favorite picture, it’s nowhere near elimination worthy. She may have been unprofessional on set, but still, with a photo like this, how can you give her the boot for that without at least giving her a second chance? Shanice later caused problems on set (with good reason imo, but still) and was given a second chance. So frustrating. Anyhow, the picture is fine. Very fitting for the bohemian concept, and I like the pose. Her head is a bit too far back and her eyes are a little off, but I like this photo well enough. A shame to not be able to see her improve further. 

#7 - Coura Fall

I really did not share the sentiment of the judges regarding this photo. Yeah, it’s not a bad picture, but really, first call out? Coura’s gorgeous, but this is very ho-hum. I don’t like the pose; it seems really contrived. The way she’s stiffly holding the garment behind her doesn’t work for me. I wish she’d tried to make more of a shape with her body than the dress. Her face is also a bit vacant, and nothing about this screams “bohemian” to me. This is the point when I started to wonder if Coura was more of a runway model than a print model. 

#8 - Christina McDonald

I like Christina’s expression here. At first glance, it’s a bit boring, but when you zoom in you can see the life behind her eyes. She looks doe-eyed, innocent, and beautifully serene. The pose is really safe; I think she could have done a lot more and still rocked the garment. A tad forgettable, but still a really sweet photograph of Christina.

#9 - Liz Woodbury

Mmmm...nope. I appreciate that Liz is trying to be creative with her pose, but the spread legs are incredibly inappropriate for the concept. If the pregnancy belly were removed and this was a normal shot, I think I would have liked it a lot, but it’s so awkward with the bump. I don’t like what her hand is doing on the belly, it looks kind of strange. One thing I do like is her face, I think she looks really cute. It doesn’t really connect with the pregnancy though.