When I first looked at this photo, I almost immediately felt horrified and awed at the same time. The model's skeletal, drooping hands and caved-in stature, combined with the thinness of her body, takes the whole concept of scarecrows for a nightmarish spin. The grimness of the sky and water create a foreboding atmosphere that is quite perfect for the subject's pose. The model's face is hidden by scraggling black hair as if she were a creature from another life, rising out of the water for some sinister purpose, her creatures swirling in the sky above her head. Her nakedness makes it even more possible to believe she is not of this world, but from one more serpentine and surreal.

The girl's hands seem unnaturally long and skeletal; I personally think they are the creepiest part of the photograph. Everything speaks of a desperation that is macabre but impossibly gorgeous. Admittedly, I would run like h*ll if I saw this girl walking out of the water towards me. I hate to bring up this movie, but I am reminded of a little girl in cinema who will unfortunately forever haunt my dreams, Samara from the movie The Ring (there, I said it). Credit should go not only to the girl who posed for this, but to the photographer for being so unafraid to do something as different, as horrifying, and as dynamic as this photo, something that many photographers would be hesitant to do.

That I get so many contradicting impressions from this photo supports the power of its gothic beauty and astounding originality. Part of its dynamic is the receding horizon contrasting with the forward movement of the subject, approaching the viewer seemingly out of a nightmare. It definitely caught my eye and I hope it catches many more, getting the attention it deserves, because the photographer executed this shot with dark and perfect vision.