If you’ll recall from my last cover, it’s good to envision the the final product of the mag – the proportions, negative space for coverlines, etc – when shooting your subject. But more often than not, the photos gracing many, many magazine covers were never shot with that intent. Usally Art Directors are sourcing images from the past, whether through stock agencies or internal archives – looking for an image that’s appropriate for the current project.
That being said, I shot this beautifully-prepared scallop dish by Shokolaat almost six months ago for an advertising campaign. At the time I didn’t know I’d be using the image for The Wave’s Spring Dining issue cover, but here we are, using it this very day!
So what’s the take-home lesson for today? Shoot everything like it’s going to end up on a magazine cover! Well, not really – but it doesn’t hurt to think this way, you never know how your images will be used in the future.