OFFICIAL Eorzea's Next Top Model Discussion Thread

[Kyri]

Greetings contestants in Eorzea's Next Top Model, Cycle 2! My name is Jericho, and I am Ciara's husband. I've been following ENTM since Cycle 1 but I haven't contributed any votes personally since she was voting for our joint account (we share the same Lodestone ID) during Cycle 1 and participates as a contestant in Cycle 2, but I would like to offer an unbiased critique of the photos in this round and perhaps in future rounds.
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Bleizahr: The quality of the picture is good, but I feel you would probably have been better served by a daylight picture. As the picture is here, the outfit you are wearing stands out more than anything else in the shot except perhaps the glow coming from Ishgard. The clarity of the picture is good, and I like the background... except for the lack of snow.

Ciara: I would consider this to be a "risky" submission. The picture itself is quite good and I believe that the essence of "Shiva" is captured here as well as any adventurer could hope to do so, but the energy of the shot could perhaps work against the feelings of serenity and tranquility that snow brings out and turn people off. Still, I love the pose and the spell effect has great synergy with the theme of the shoot.

Jayzan: When I first saw this picture, I had no idea what sort of image you were trying to convey. The first thing I said was, "What is he doing with that firework?" I'm still not entirely certain what you were doing here, honestly. As for the picture itself, the glare from the flare combined with the haze from the blizzard blur the details on your face. It's a decent picture and I think it captures the theme well, however.

Kaelah: Ah, a snowball picture! I really like this shot. The pose is perfectly suited for the theme and she looks like she's having a blast playing in the snow. As others have mentioned, I think you would have been served well by a strategically placed wind-up sun to add a bit of lighting to contrast against the darker background.

Kin: A pale-skinned miqo'te with white hair and wearing a white outfit in a daylight shot standing in a field of snow with some rocky outcrops in the background. There is a lot of brightness in this photo. Too much brightness. The image is nice, but it seems very basic and bland. It does capture a nice feeling of serenity, but some darker colors would have been very welcome, if not in terms of outfit so as to maintain the aspect of innocence then perhaps a slightly darker backdrop or a picture taken later in the day, such as sunset. I want more color here!

Kurri: Hmm.. well, I like the environment the photo was snapped in. Kurri's face is very well defined in the shot. But there's not much else here. The pose taken while fishing almost makes Kurri look angry, and I'm not a fan of the choice of headgear. I get the point of the wardrobe selection, but I just can't get over that hat.

Maxwell: This is one of my favorite shots for the round. I love the choice of outfit given the scenario portrayed. Maxwell is trying to run with the pack! Very creative! The lighting for the image is very well positioned and Maxwell stands out nicely against the darker background, without diminishing the background itself. Overall, an excellent submission.

Ronberku: Love the moon in this shot. This is a picture that is vying for cuteness, and succeeds with the fawn. The color of the minion suits the blue hue given to the snow from the moonlight. I'm not certain if this particular shot would have captured a Top 5 vote from me, but I'm certain that others will be immediately drawn to the "D'awww" factor it brings.

S.Q.: Not a bad picture, I can say for certain. Nice pose, nice background, nice lighting. Good outfit and time of day selection. This seems like a very "safe" image, very simple but still elegant. Not sure it has the "oomph" needed to capture a vote from me, but it is still a very nice picture.

Tinsley: Amazing. I love the hoarfrost effect on the surrounding trees and the model herself is so, so sharp. It almost looks like I could reach out and pluck her out of the picture. Definitely sitting amongst my favorites for this round.

Vahn: A "somewhat less pale than Kin"-skinned elezen with white hair and wearing a white outfit in a daylight shot standing in a field of snow with some rocky outcrops in the background. This image suffers from the same sort of "blandness" that Kin's does. It's... white. And a blue sky. And that's about it. She gets the benefit of being able to pull the "innocent girl" look off. Not so sure about this one. It's a very clear image that captures that feeling of peace and serenity, and Vahn's a handsome elezen, but.. just not much going on here. A pose would probably have helped.

Valintina: Now, what are you up to? Spying on Santa? Lovely background, nice pose, good lighting. Very nice image. As with S.Q., it feels safe yet elegant. I also don't know if it would capture a vote from me, but that doesn't mean it's not "good".

Yuni: Very, very nice picture. A starlit night, those lovely hoarfrost covered trees framing the model, the glow of the castle. Yuni is very sharp in the picture, augmented well by the choice of lighting. I love the pose and I love the outfit. This is a beautiful picture. Just stunning.

Yunie: Another snowball picture! Similar to Kaelah's submission, I love the expression from this pose. The background is excellent and I love the sunset in the mountains. Yunie just looks joyous. It would be a hard choice to choose between Kaelah and Yunie to take a position amongst the Top 5 for this round, but I'd have to give it to Yunie because the lighting is better here.
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Love this series! It's amazing how many wonderful screenshots are captured, and it really shows off just how gorgeous the world of Eorzea is. I'm thinking of trying out for Cycle 3 myself...

Until next time!,
Jericho