This is the true story of seven strangers picked to live in a loft to find out what happens when people stop being polite and start getting real — "The Real World."

Oops. Let's try that again.

Thirty-nine days. Sixteen people. One "Survivor." Hmmm ... that's wrong, too.

Congratulations! You're still in the running toward becoming "America's Next Top Model." Nope, that's not it, either. OK, how about this? Ten amateur photographers get the chance to live out their wildest fantasies in pursuit of their ultimate dream: to become the next great fashion photographer. Bingo!

All right, it sounds a little dull, but stick with me, please.

With the glut of reality shows on television these days (and the chance of them growing exponentially as the writers strike drags on), it's easy to get confused. At any given time, you can watch contestants battle to become "Top Chef," "The Apprentice," a fashion designer ("Project Runway") or an illusionist ("Phenomenon").

Fortunately VH1's latest, "The Shot" (which airs Sunday nights), is one of the better ones. That probably has a lot to do with its executive producer, Ken Mok, who also works with Tyra Banks on "ANTM." "The Shot" feels a lot like "ANTM" — slick, polished and lightning-fast — but that's definitely not a bad thing.

Instead of wannabe models living together in Los Angeles, "The Shot" features wannabe fashion photographers living together in Los Angeles. Each week they are subjected to challenges that will determine who is the most creative and who can collaborate the best with hairdressers, stylists, clients and supermodels.

Some of the contestants are intriguing. There's Balbinka (yes, that's correct), a Polish model-turned-photographer; Ivan, a bespectacled, introspective shutterbug from Zagreb, Croatia, and Piper, a spitfire from Detroit.

The challenges are just as interesting — and titillating. In the first episode, the photographers are instructed to shoot photos of two nude models to convey passion. Some had a much harder time with the assignment than you'd think, given the attractive material they had to work with.

But that was nothing compared with the first elimination challenge. In that instance, the photogs were split into two teams had to shoot a five-page fashion editorial spread illustrating a "stormy romance" aboard a schooner on the open sea.

Each team member was responsible for one photo that showcased a different outfit worn by a Victoria's Secret model. Both teams ran into problems, including poor planning, conflicting personalities, lack of leadership and seasickness, to name just a few.

Then there was Piper, who evidently feels she must micromanage her team's every move.

"I felt like punching her in the face," declared one teammate, Maria. Even as a passive spectator we had to agree with her.

While the host and main judge (and Fabio lookalike), Russell James, is a bit lacking in the personality department), fellow judge and hair stylist Italo Gregorio more than makes up for it. Consider his appraisal of one photographer's piece, which didn't highlight the model's necklace as it should have: "I don't see any fashion. I don't see any beauty. I just see two huge boobs."

Now if only someone would fix the totally lame "you're still in the running to launch your dream career" congratulations at the end of the show.