Photoshoot #2 - Seasons (Winter)

[Sarah Michelle Gellar]

Miley and I have chosen the summer/winter theme for this photoshoot, and my photo depicted winter...



When I first saw this photo I saw winter straight away, however Miley at first was unsure. She was worried that the lack of snow and clothing would not give the photo its wintery appeal. Although after a while she warmed to the photo.
In my opinion winter doesn't necessarily spark images of snow and woolen mittens. Through this photo I see mystery, mist, darkness, coldness and death (through the shriveled dead leaves and trees that cant handle the cold). All of these elements usually being associated as wintery elements. Sarah herself looks pale, lost and perhaps afraid. Lastly, the background closely resembles a typical wintery night and early morning where I live where there is no snow but instead there is fog and snowy dew on the grass.

[Amanda Kimmel]

Amanda: Happy Halloween, Sarah. This is not a winter photograph - it's for autumn. Your description screams Halloween. Halloween is in autumn. Dead trees, darkness, mystery, you being afraid... that doesn't add up to winter for me. That adds up to October.

Despite that quibble, it's an okay photograph that seems almost like a promo still for a horror movie. You're like a damsel in distress running away from the monster and you're turning back to see how far away you've gotten. I like your hair and dress, but I don't love them - there's nothing incredibly unique that makes this one stand out. This could be so much more than it is, and it's unfortunate. Sorry Sarah, but I can't rank you as highly as last week :/

[Anna Wintour]

Anna: Alright Sarah, let's see if we can make this work...how about we call this shot "The Nightmare Before Christmas". That way, Amanda gets her Halloween, you get your winter, and everyone's happy. I really do see where you're coming from with this; the blue, the cold, the dead leaves, but honestly it's still not enough to make this unquestionably winter. Your outfit is gorgeous, but I'm afraid even your boobs would get frostbite in that dress if this was as cold as it looks, not to mention those poor bare feet. I like your expression, and your pose is fantastic; there's no denying that you're telling a story here, but unfortunately, I don't think it's a winter story.

[Joan Rivers]

Joan: Sorry but I agree with Amanda, I see autumn more than winter. I am mad you picked winter because if this was autumn I would have liked the setting more. Your pose works with your setting. SMG we all know you are a scream queen and this photo shows that. I like your scared facial expression it works with the setting and pose. Fits together very well but damn it Sarah! Why did you say it is winter and not autumn, going to have to mark down points on that.

[Sarah Michelle Gellar]

I feel there is a bit of a culture gap here. I'm going to assume most of the people playing and judging live in the Northern hemisphere, but I live in the Southern Hemisphere. For me, in Australia, winter is a very cold, deathly time of year, but it doesn't snow. The reason why I chose this photo is because it best represents what winter looks like where I come from. That is cold, deathly and even spooky. Winter sort of creeps in in Australia, and the cold creeps in under your clothes and grabs you. I don't see autumn at all in this, because Halloween isn't in autumn here (nor is it widely celebrated).

[Amanda Kimmel]

Amanda: Okay. Completely forgot that. And didn't know you guys don't do Halloween. I understand you're new at this, so in the future, it might be a good idea to elaborate a bit on how this photo relates to a specific sort of thing in your culture. That way, we can see everything better! This is the typical way we judge - from what WE know, unless you elaborate on what YOU know. There's really no other way to do it. If you paint a picture for why you chose what you did, then we'll get your arguments a lot more.

I'm from the Midwestern United States, and here in winter means lots of snow. This photo is what we consider to be October. Leaves fallen, scary settings, etc. Now that I can see that you associate this same stuff with winter, that improves this photo quite a bit. It's atypical for us, but now that you've given us more explanation, we see it better.

This will improve your score, I am sure of it

[Sarah Michelle Gellar]

Thank you I realise now I didnt explain myself properly, and should have added in reasons of why I percieve winter to be this way (location etc). Phew I feel a bit better now

[Amanda Kimmel]

You're welcome!


And Miley was probably unsure because she sees winter and October the same way I do, given that she doesn't live too far from me! Keep that in mind

[Bethany Joy Galeotti]

Beth: I'm from Malaysia and I can see what're you trying to do, Sarah. I love the concept. Very unique but your face in this photo didn't work for me. I love the setting and styling especially the outfit. The pose is good too. So what I want from you is strong face expression. I want to see the energy coming from your face.