Post by Taylor Swift on Jan 15, 2012 10:56:06 GMT -5
First of all, I am going to get bitchy about this, and if that costs me my spot in this competition, so be it. Because honestly, I'm not in the mood for the angry impatient judge shit.
If you don't like that, 5th place is pretty damned good, and I am proud of myself.
I needed an extension because I was traveling. As in I had phone access only. I am NOT arrogant enough to assume that I will be in the f5 or 4 or whatever round the Covergirl shoot will be. And while obviously I know my portfolio and have over 500 images saved for this competition, hours put into finding the best versions, avoiding several viruses and putting my rudimentary knowledge of Arabic to use because for some bizarre reason, most of the HQ Taylor images happen to be on arabic sites (and Drew Barrymore ones are in Russian. I don't question it.).
Unfortunately though, this shoot ended up taking place during a trip to another city, a trip during which I lost my photo ID. It turns out, btw, that photo ID is required to check into a hotel. Any hotel. Even a shitty roadside motel. I arrived at night btw. I finally managed to work something out with a hotel I'd stayed at once before who had my information on file, which I was able to verify. The rates were triple what I came into town expecting to spend, but its not like I could turn around and take another bus home.
The net was too bad for me to load even a thumbnail or two more than halfway. And even then, I was a little more concerned with learning that my school scholarship expired when I had to go on medical leave and now I have no idea how I'm going to continue my education. And then I had to cut my trip a day short because I got bad news from home and had to rush back on the next bus.
I am not having a good week and I do not remotely give a damn if you think me not being able to rush to post a picture right then and there was a great cardinal sin. Because this shoot is NOT just a job to half ass or a photo I've had saved and picked for perfection for a month. And in a game where asking for extentions is generally admitted, I think its more than fair and understandable that I would want a little extra time to make my decision.
This shoot isn't just "do a covergirl look lol!!" We had two very specific and different tasks to pull off, and if you don't understand the difference that makes in selecting and framing and editting then you probably should reconsider your position as judges. One image needs to focus on and really sell our lips and lipcolor as a focal point, while the other needs to sell mascara and our eyes. It's easy to just pick a shoot where your model looks beautiful and her face radiates and the makeup looks nice. It's quite another to pick two specific, distinct looks that both fit that criteria and sell different aspects of the face.
For example, this is my choice for lips:
This has always been in the back of my mind as a great picture for this shoot (better than Taylor's ACTUAL Covergirl shoots, which I am NOT using). Overall it showcases Taylor's absolute beauty, and the way the picture is framed and composed brings your eyes to all points of the shot. The trifecta of peachish pink leads your eyes from her hair, to the edge of the image,taking your eye to the neckline and finally, to the overall focal point of the picture, the bright, gorgeous lips. Taylor's got so many red lipstick shots, I must have gone through about 30, and while those are all quite nice, I don't think any of them manage the dual purpose of showcasing the lips (while making it a point to make you want to BUY lipstick, which is the entire point) as well as showing Taylor at her absolute best, hair curled and interweaving, eyes bright and looking forward.
There arent any better ones for this shoot than this. Trust me, I've looked and looked hard. Because selecting even for the most predictable shoot isn't easy and isn't about getting it done fast, it's about getting it done right and then reevaluating, because the perfect shot might not be where you're expecting and it may not be at all what you thought you were looking for.
My second picture fits that category:
It isn't typical covergirl. And I'm committing the sin I tried very, very hard to avoid and am using again from a previous shoot. But this is still the best and even if its a risk, I wouldn't submit it if I didn't think it was worth it.
The dramatic lighting and expression are all a little more high fashion than the typical Covergirl shoot. But I think that stare, that look, those eyes are what draw you in, and if you saw that stare on a box that said BUY THIS MASCARA I doubt you would hesitate in picking it up and giving it a try.
I wasn't expecting to use this. There are a lot of pictures that probably scream commercial and eyeliner/mascara, but truth be told I after I had a chance to really stop and look, I don't think a single one of them compares. They're all too made-up and too plastic and look more like the unattainable result of extensive photoshopping and high standards than real, raw beauty, and given the likelihood of this being my final submitted shoot, I'd like it to be with a bang and with something I genuinely believe is gorgeous.
I wanted a chance to look through every damn picture I've compiled and check them twice before picking, because this competition isnt about posting fast and skating by, it's about looking and working hard and doing whatever you can to post the perfect picture to fit the shoot.
I did not work this hard to get here only to half-ass 2 pictures from the back of a bus on my phone.
And if doing what this competition is about costs me this competition, again, 5th place is wonderful and I've had a great time!
I would rather you judge me on my photos and my hard work though, and not on whether I can post at a specific time.
And sorry for being a bitch. Won't happen again! ...probably.
If you don't like that, 5th place is pretty damned good, and I am proud of myself.
I needed an extension because I was traveling. As in I had phone access only. I am NOT arrogant enough to assume that I will be in the f5 or 4 or whatever round the Covergirl shoot will be. And while obviously I know my portfolio and have over 500 images saved for this competition, hours put into finding the best versions, avoiding several viruses and putting my rudimentary knowledge of Arabic to use because for some bizarre reason, most of the HQ Taylor images happen to be on arabic sites (and Drew Barrymore ones are in Russian. I don't question it.).
Unfortunately though, this shoot ended up taking place during a trip to another city, a trip during which I lost my photo ID. It turns out, btw, that photo ID is required to check into a hotel. Any hotel. Even a shitty roadside motel. I arrived at night btw. I finally managed to work something out with a hotel I'd stayed at once before who had my information on file, which I was able to verify. The rates were triple what I came into town expecting to spend, but its not like I could turn around and take another bus home.
The net was too bad for me to load even a thumbnail or two more than halfway. And even then, I was a little more concerned with learning that my school scholarship expired when I had to go on medical leave and now I have no idea how I'm going to continue my education. And then I had to cut my trip a day short because I got bad news from home and had to rush back on the next bus.
I am not having a good week and I do not remotely give a damn if you think me not being able to rush to post a picture right then and there was a great cardinal sin. Because this shoot is NOT just a job to half ass or a photo I've had saved and picked for perfection for a month. And in a game where asking for extentions is generally admitted, I think its more than fair and understandable that I would want a little extra time to make my decision.
This shoot isn't just "do a covergirl look lol!!" We had two very specific and different tasks to pull off, and if you don't understand the difference that makes in selecting and framing and editting then you probably should reconsider your position as judges. One image needs to focus on and really sell our lips and lipcolor as a focal point, while the other needs to sell mascara and our eyes. It's easy to just pick a shoot where your model looks beautiful and her face radiates and the makeup looks nice. It's quite another to pick two specific, distinct looks that both fit that criteria and sell different aspects of the face.
For example, this is my choice for lips:
This has always been in the back of my mind as a great picture for this shoot (better than Taylor's ACTUAL Covergirl shoots, which I am NOT using). Overall it showcases Taylor's absolute beauty, and the way the picture is framed and composed brings your eyes to all points of the shot. The trifecta of peachish pink leads your eyes from her hair, to the edge of the image,taking your eye to the neckline and finally, to the overall focal point of the picture, the bright, gorgeous lips. Taylor's got so many red lipstick shots, I must have gone through about 30, and while those are all quite nice, I don't think any of them manage the dual purpose of showcasing the lips (while making it a point to make you want to BUY lipstick, which is the entire point) as well as showing Taylor at her absolute best, hair curled and interweaving, eyes bright and looking forward.
There arent any better ones for this shoot than this. Trust me, I've looked and looked hard. Because selecting even for the most predictable shoot isn't easy and isn't about getting it done fast, it's about getting it done right and then reevaluating, because the perfect shot might not be where you're expecting and it may not be at all what you thought you were looking for.
My second picture fits that category:
It isn't typical covergirl. And I'm committing the sin I tried very, very hard to avoid and am using again from a previous shoot. But this is still the best and even if its a risk, I wouldn't submit it if I didn't think it was worth it.
The dramatic lighting and expression are all a little more high fashion than the typical Covergirl shoot. But I think that stare, that look, those eyes are what draw you in, and if you saw that stare on a box that said BUY THIS MASCARA I doubt you would hesitate in picking it up and giving it a try.
I wasn't expecting to use this. There are a lot of pictures that probably scream commercial and eyeliner/mascara, but truth be told I after I had a chance to really stop and look, I don't think a single one of them compares. They're all too made-up and too plastic and look more like the unattainable result of extensive photoshopping and high standards than real, raw beauty, and given the likelihood of this being my final submitted shoot, I'd like it to be with a bang and with something I genuinely believe is gorgeous.
I wanted a chance to look through every damn picture I've compiled and check them twice before picking, because this competition isnt about posting fast and skating by, it's about looking and working hard and doing whatever you can to post the perfect picture to fit the shoot.
I did not work this hard to get here only to half-ass 2 pictures from the back of a bus on my phone.
And if doing what this competition is about costs me this competition, again, 5th place is wonderful and I've had a great time!
I would rather you judge me on my photos and my hard work though, and not on whether I can post at a specific time.
And sorry for being a bitch. Won't happen again! ...probably.
Your Official Covergirl Ad
