Confessional

[Team XY]

I know I am starting this confessional a little late but better late than never.  This first post in the thread will constantly be updated until I am eliminated from the competition because it will show how everybody ranks overall in the competition because in the end I don't think the judge's scores will change that much from when they scored them in each round so that will give me an idea of where I rank amongst the other teams.

Overall Team Rank:

1. Team Stingy (158+53+60+58+54+93) = 477 - 2 = 475  
2. Legally Blonde (163+62+51+61+46+75) = 458 - 6 = 452
3. Team Lotus (154+54+53+46+44+102) = 453
4. Brazilian Wizards (148+48+50+53+55+96) = 450 - 6 = 444
5. Team Sunkissed (153+46+64+71+34+84) = 452 [eliminated in 5th place]
6. Team Fire (127+54+37+59+35) = 312 [eliminated in 6th place]
7. Team Innocence (159+50+44+47) = 300 [eliminated in 7th place]
8. Team B (144+49+38+46) = 277 [eliminated in 8th place]
9. Team Microwave (148+52+32) = 232 [eliminated in 9th place]
10. All Class (125+43) = 168 [eliminated in 10th place]

With only 3 more photoshoots left in the competition I would easily put some money on Team Stingy to win.  Point wise when considering the judges scores and after reward and FCO bonus points are excluded Stingy is easily in the lead by over 20 points.  As an added plus Stingy has not been in the bottom two so far in this competition and has consistently been in the top 4 every round.  

[Team XY]

Round 1

So round 1 was a complete fail for me for the most part.  I did come out very strong with my model Lily Cole but she has a strong portfolio and knew she was going to be strong member of my team.  Unfortunately the risks I gambled with my celebrity Rihanna and my fictional character Ichigo Kurosaki didn't pay off for me.  My Rihanna picture while had a very real feel to the smile she was giving felt very stiff in the rest of the picture.  I also didn't know too much about editing at this part so I definitely know I can edit the pictures to better suit my need for them in the challenge comes the need for it.  My beauty shot of Ichigo was a bit of a stress with only a full on half face.  I thought that that particular picture worked really well because it had much stronger features than a lot of fan art that I have seen of Ichigo.  I mean a lot of fan art I had seen up to that point it wasn't such strong beauty shots so I took a gamble with what I thought was a strong alternative that gave strong face while still fulfilling the theme of the challenge and being a strong photo but apparently I thought wrong.  I mean throughout my search for other photoshoots for later rounds I have found better photos that I wish I could have submitted for this round and thus not have started clearly so low in the scorings right off the bat.  I was in the bottom two this round and if it wasn't for my Lily Cole submission I probably would have had the lowest score that round and probably have been sent home but I did feel that my Lily Cole was a redeeming factor for my team which helped Janice make this round a non-elimination round so I was able to try and redeem myself next round.

[Team XY]

I'm too lazy to write a confessional for every round/photoshoot we have had so far. I seem to be doing pretty well overall in the challenges. I won the first challenge (also got a disadvantage so it cancelled out my win), came in second in the second challenge, won the third challenge, really bombed the fourth challenge, and just barely lost this most recent challenge. So my track records for challenges is very good. Just wish my track record for photoshoots were as good. I apparently only seem to know how to do really well or really bad, there seems to be no middle ground for me at panel. I totally agree with the first round in that my risks were not well received and was glad it was a non-elimination panel but luckily I was not given the lowest points that round anyway. I did extremely well in the second photoshoot being in the top 3 call out. I wish I didn't help out Lotus during the photoshoot and just had her struggle and who knows maybe she possibly would have been sent home that round and I would have been given second call out instead of third. Now in the third round I agree with the critiques I received for my submission but I did not agree with the ranking I received and thought I was better than the bottom two for that round. I also did not receive the lowest score for that round either, it seems to be a pattern so far for when I am in the bottom two but do not receive the lowest score for that round. Then in the fourth round I received top 3 call out again and luckily my ability to tie the photoshoot theme connection and fashion into every time I submit a photo is what I believe is keeping me in this competition so far. I may sometimes be lacking in modeling and more often than not lack in execution but you can not deny how I embrace the theme and convey it into every photo I submit. Unfortunately for me a lot of the dead weight in this competition has been eliminated and now only have strong competition left. I can't afford another bad week like I had the first week and with the RuPaul week as well (even though I thought I did better than I was ranked for that week). I just now need to wait and see how I do this round even though I though I was lacking in certain aspects with the photo.

[Team XY]

It really sucks I got eliminated.  As in the real ANTM fashion I will do all of the reward challenges and photoshoots just to see how I can stack up to the rest in my opinion.


Reward #6 - Redemption

I really could have used this reward the most and most likely would have won it.  I would have gone back to the first photoshoot and changed my photo for either Ichigo or Rihanna.



This image is very safe but a huge improvement over what I originally submitted for Rihanna.  I like the energy, her smile, and how her hand is placed on her head giving her a sort of coy feeling along with her hair covering one of her eyes.  It is a fun photo of Rihanna smiling in my opinion.



Now this photo will still be a bit of a risk but a more safer risk.  You stressed how profiles still give good angles on beauty shots so I decided to give you a strong profile.  The risky part is the styling of Ichigo bleeding and covered in blood but I think it gives a depth to the photo and creates a story that is hard to do in beauty shots.

Photoshoot #6 - Pin Up Vs. Glamour

Now in this thread I will show you photos for Pin Up and Glamour I would have submitted for both members of my team to bring it to the top 4 submissions I could have done for this shoot.



This is my glamour for Ichigo.  I find it extremely raunchy and kind of out there just short of hentai.



This is my pin up for Ichigo.  I like the feel, fashion, modeling, and flow of this photo just wish it didn't have that tiny Rukia in the corner and it would be 100% perfect in my opinion.  I definitely was interested in submitting another picture but it would have been a major risk that could have backfired just like my beauty shot for Ichigo, the risk would have been



Due to the fact that Ichigo's face is not shown at all in this photo would have been extremely risky but I find the Ichigo's back side to be extremely sexy and pin up worthy.



This is my glamour for Rihanna.  I think it is extremely raunchy and trashy and fits the glamour theme exceptionally well.



This i my pin up for Rihanna.  You say it needs to be provocative but tasteful.  I find this to be extremely provocative in that she is completely nude but not vulgar and giving nudity.  Her hair styling is very good, the accessory of the necklace helps frames her cleavage very well or at least brings enough attention to them, her tattoos are tasteful and add a certain something to the photo and the jacket is killer fashion that is highlighted in this photo.

So in the end I would have submitted the pin up for Rihanna and the glamour for Ichigo. It is exactly the opposite of what you showed in the guidelines for the photoshoot so that is kind of why I did it.  For the reward I do not know which one I would have sent because I do not know which one of the two was my lowest scoring photo and probably would have asked for the individual scores for that photoshoot to find out and then just send the one that was the lowest.

[Janice Dickinson]

Yes, for Glamour Ichigo. We want to get as close to hentai as possible. Even censored stuff. However, we can actually see a stiff-bulge in that fairy one...



Your Rihanna GQ one is a tasteful one, and it works very well for Pin Up.

[Morgan Freeman]

Damn Ichigo just might make me change sexuality! Your glamour shot for him is divine, very unique, raunchy and sexy. If he were the tooth fairy I could see an epidemic begin where grown woman start pulling their teeth out.

Pin up for Inchigo works, but not as strong as your glamour. The abs are the main pin up focus, the rest of your body and poise would have stood out more if that massive knife (is that symbolism for castration!?) and little minion weren't in the way.

Rihanna's glamour, you are on the right track with the setting and styling its definately different and sexy. But Rihanna herself isn't pulling off the look. The photo needs to be wider and Rihanna needs to be selling her body through delicious poses.

Your photo for Rihanna's pinup is great and very tasteful (as well as being sexy to the max)! You are positioning your body well and are exemplifying some very nice curvatures in your body. Removing the GQ label would be a plus.

[Team XY]

Thank you for critiques. I have a feeling that if I was still in the competition I would easily have gotten fco or top 2 with my submissions. But if I was still in the competition I definitely would be eliminated after the Ultima photoshoot. I mean for fictional you make it a hair product when Ichigo has short hair, so fml for my fictional but I will still work on finding good submissions. Should hopefully be up by tomorrow night.

[Janice Dickinson]

Ichigo doesn't use styling wax?

[Team XY]

Lily here is posing for an ad for "Innocence" perfume for Ultima Cosmetics.  Her deer in the headlights look while her hands framing her face bring a depth of innocence to this photo that would work for an perfume ad.  Plus the necklace looks like it can possibly be a perfume bottle on a chain.



Next we have Rihanna posing with some accessories from Ultima Cosmetics.  She is sporting two necklaces and an earring set. 



Finally we have Ichigo showing off "Sun Kissed" hair product line of do it yourself high lights from Ultima Cosmetics.

[Janice Dickinson]

I'm not really going to give you a good critique on the latter two, but rather post some better alternatives to give you an idea. However, Lily's is spot on. I can smell a very fragrant perfume of the sweet flowers, like rose, jasmine and sweet pea. It's an interesting concept here, and I think better than the ones submitted.

Rihanna - No. Absolutely not.

Instead, here's one that would've worked amazingly.

ultimate-rihanna.hollywood.com/gallery/displayimage.php?album=1064&pid=27313#top_display_media

And Ichigo, not a bad effort, but definitely not the best you could offer.

We could go for something with a little more commercial appeal

static.zerochan.net/Kurosaki.Ichigo.full.973077.jpg

or even a gimmick like ths



And add in a tag line about retaining moisture, and not being dry.

[Morgan Freeman]

Lily does do a fine job of portraying innocence, maybe I should buy that perfume and spray it on Janice so she doesn't come across so desperate in the change rooms. Fantastic accessories, posing and execution!
I much prefer the alternatives that Janice posted for Rihanna and Ichigo, they showcase more personality and exemplify the focus of their product well. The ones you originally posted I would feel to be too safe and missing a dazzling factor.

[Team XY]

Thanks on your constructive criticism.  First off I would like to give a shout out to Janice because the pic I used for Lily is the avatar pic for Lily that Janice created and she somehow forgot to mention that and just want to give props where they are due.  

Now I totally agree with everything you said about my photo for Rihanna.  When I was looking for the photo I was going to pick I searched for Rihanna jewelry and wasn't in love with most of what I was finding.  So I settled on something that showcased a decent amount of accessories that weren't bad taste or over the top and is overall a decent photo.  Apparently accessories are my weakness in this competition, you can ask RuPaul to verify this.  So right after I read your comments I decided what type of accessory do I associate with Rihanna the most and it isn't jewelry but I associate Rihanna with leather gloves so I searched that on google and this is what I found:



This is leaps and bounds better than what I picked as the photo for Rihanna and I might take a stab and say it might be better than Janice's alternatives.  So now I learned how to associate the challenge and relate it to my team mate instead of just searching general and coming up with mediocre. 

Now I was a little surprised overall you didn't like my Ichigo photo.  I guess I was a little bit too much in my head with trying to be witty with associating eliminated team names for the products I was advertising.  Which if I submitted my Rihanna glove photo I would name the accessory "All Class" mini gloves.  Now the photo I picked for Ichigo was not chosen lightly and I actually put a decent hand in editing the photo to try and make it pop more.  Now when you compare the photo I submitted to the original photo I was working with it does pop and I think looks better overall but I guess when you see my final photo for Ichigo you don't compare it to the original and it doesn't pop out as much as I thought it was in my head.

Original


Edited


I can go into detail the edits I did for the photo if you want, but I doubt you actually want to hear it.  I actually tried to edit it more, I really wanted to change it from a boring bright white background but when I tried to execute that it was epic failure.  But I think now you can see what I was going in my head and thought that the Ichigo photo I picked I thought better than actually was.  But I do agree with Morgan and that Janice's alternatives does have more personality in them and I am not great at marketing so it never would come across my mind to compare the background of the photo to the product like you did with Ichigo in that desert shot.

[Janice Dickinson]

Still, "Hydrating Shampoo for Sun Kissed Hair" with my example.

[Team XY]

Model: Lily Cole walking for Hermes (John Paul Gaultier) 




Celebrity:  Rihaana on the red carpet at the Grammy Awards




Fictional: Leox90 from deviantart cosplaying as Ichigo Kurosaki and his hollow alter ego from Bleach.