CNTM: Carnival is Bacchanal

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Treveen photographed by Kerron Riley

Oh my darling biddies, I'm sorry to say that I missed everything but the judging this week, so I have little to say about the models' interpersonal drama. Unfortunately that means that this week, I'll have to base this review exclusively on the their performance in the photoshoot. I know! Comment très ennuyeux! But that can't be helped. Let's get on with it.

 It seems Treveen has once again found herself at the top of the pack and with good reason! This
shot has all the Charima Uniquness Nerve and Talent you could ask for. Treveen is engaged with her body and in her face, she's interacting with the other characters in frame, and she still manages to stand out amongst all the feathers. I can easily see this as an ad for Trinidad Carnival, as it fantastically captures the idea of interacting with a new culture, while also being wary of it. In this shot, Treveen has accomplished the near impossible: she looks demure in a Carnival costume. That takes serious skill. So congratulations again, Treveen. You clearly plan to go very far in this competition.

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Susan photographed by Kerron Riley

I'm just going to say it. I have no idea why the judges are giving Susan so much love. I like Susan, and I don't think this is a bad shot at all, but there were quite a few that were better than this! In this photo Susan looks far too posed. Not to mention, you can tell that she's sucking in her stomach. Her doing that isn't necessarily a bad thing, but I shouldn't be able to tell. On top of that, her face is completely dead. She doesn't look as though she's enjoying herself one bit, and she isn't at all engaged with either the photograph, the audience or the other characters. Carnival is all about colour and energy and movement and vibrancy. This shot says "I am a model, so look at this pretty costume I'm wearing." It doesn't do it for me. I will say though, that she definitely stands out from the other characters, and not all the other girls managed to accomplish that. I have sneaky suspicion though, that this is only because she managed to be front of frame.

Susan is clearly improving, and that's the point of a competition like this; to take the lessons you're given, and apply them to the shoots. But the panel call-out order is supposed to reflect the quality of the individual shots that week, not hand out prizes for "most improved". Susan is doing better and maybe in a week or two she'll actually deserve to be called this early, but she's not there yet. Until then, I will continue to marvel at the strength of the Jesus Juice that Wendy is clearly sipping.

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Lisa photographed by Kerron Riley

Lisa is blossoming so much and she's becoming one to watch in my opinion. An audience loves an underdog story, and it bodes well for her that after being eliminated in the first round, she's coming back with a vengeance.

This is my favourite shot of the week. It's not the best shot (I definitely agree with the judges that Treveen's was technically better) but the energy of Lisa's shot is delightful. From her big smile to the clear amount of fun she's having, it's no wonder that she stands out so clearly in this shot. It helps that the supporting characters are working to her advantage and not overshadowing her. Lisa did a great job this week, and I can't wait to see more from her.

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Stephany photographed by Kerron Riley

Stephany is great and I love the energy in this shot, but she's forgotten that's she's always supposed to be a model first. The photograph has brilliant energy, and she's clearly having fun, but she lost control of her "model" and this shot needs to be reigned in. There's a delicate balance between performance and model.

Stephany is one of the few girls for whom Wendy's criticisms are always spot on. At panel, Stephany is vibrant and confident and beautiful, but it never seems to come across in her photographs. It continues to amaze me the size of the gulf between Stephany's performances on set and her performances at panel. It's clear that she has the ability, so what she needs to work on now is actively demonstrating that when the time comes.

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Trudy photographed by Kerron Riley

Trudy is struggling and I hate it! I love her so much, but it's becoming clearer and clearer that she's letting her dissatisfaction with her makeover leak over into her work. This shot is way too posed, and doesn't really fulfill the assignment if I'm honest. She looks great, but unlike Stephany, who needs to reign in the fun and focus on the model, Trudy needs to let go a bit more, and not cling so tightly to the model label.

It's almost as though Trudy thinks she has to overcompensate for the hair she lost. Her look is severe, but it doesn't mean that all her shots have to be. This shot has none of the abandon or energy that makes Lisa's shot so great, or Stephany's shot acceptable. Trudy has a great face and a great body. All she has to do is regain that oomph she had before; the spark that made her special. Because this isn't cutting it, and if she doesn't watch out, she'll soon find herself eliminated.

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Athaliah photographed by Kerron Riley

This is hands down the worst shot of the week for me, and I'm mildly surprised that the judges didn't think so. Not only does Athaliah fade into the background, her posing is awkward and forced. I have no idea what was going on between her and Lisa this week and whether or not that played a role in her performance this week, but this is a mess.

Nothing about this shot is redeemable for me, and I would honestly have sent her home. Not only is she doing nothing for the costume that she's shilling, she looks uncomfortable, uninspired and disengaged. And to top it all off, she is overpowered by the presence of the other characters. This is not good work, and Athaliah better step it up on Monday.

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Sedia photographed by Kerron Riley

Sedia is adorable and I noticed that I didn't hate her hair that much this week (maybe it was the lighting?) but this shot is not quite there. It's almost adorable that she thinks this is Verb, but Pedro was right: this is Ms. Universe National Costume fare, not Caribbean's Next Top Model. Total Noun. It actually makes me question what the rest of her shoot looked like if this is her best shot. I don't know what kind of experience she had prior to joining this competition, but I think that anyone who's ever seen ANTM should know that Tyra would not accept this Model 101 nonsense.

I don't even completely hate the photograph, and I don't think that Sedia is talentless by any means, but I do think that she is one of the weaker links of the competition  and if she doesn't step it up, she risks becoming filler: one of the "characters" who are kept around simply to provide a sounding board for the girls who actually have a chance at the win. The competition is thinning, and no one can afford to have an off week. She's going to need to show some Verb pretty soon, if she plans to stay in this competition for the long haul.

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Kendra photographed by Kerron Riley

I wasn't at all surprised to see Kendra in the bottom two again, but I was genuinely surprised that she was saved. Again. I have nothing against the girl, but she does nothing for me model wise or personality wise, which is a problem, since you need both to succeed in this business. This photograph does nothing for her or the costume. She simultaneously looks as though she's trying too hard and not trying at all.

I'll try to reserve my comments for the next episode, because the judges clearly see something in her that I don't, but as of right now, I'm neither here nor there about her, and I wouldn't miss her if she was gone.

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Sheriza photographed by Kerron Riley

Weirdly, I'm sad to see Sheriza go. I never loved her or anything, but considering how terribly she was treated by the other girls, I almost feel like she never had a fair chance to shine. This photograph isn't great, and I didn't love her last week either, but I still think Kendra's was worse. She would have done well to step a little further downstage and taken more initiative to show the costume. There is definitely a lack of energy in her eyes though, and it may well have been as a result of the bad week she had. I think in the end, her presence in the competition was a distraction from its real purpose, through no fault of her own. Some people are just terrible, and there's nothing you can do about that. I wish her all the best.

*****

All round, I think the photos mostly improved this week. As always there were still a few duds, but I suppose that's the math of it all. Somebody has to suck sometimes. Let's see what next week holds.

What did you think? Who was your favourite girl this week and why? Who do you want to see sent home next? 

Let me know in the comments below.

Previously on Caribbean's Next TopModel: 

CNTM Cycle 1, Episode 3: Flounder or Flourish?

CNTM Cycle 1, Episode 2: Beginners, Bullies and Buck-Toothed Bitches

CNTM Cycle 1, Episode 1: Introducing Caribbean's Next Top Model