I promised I'd share our new cover with you, so here's a sneak peek at Lydia Hearst on our Genlux Spring/Summer 2014 issue.
The photo was taken by Tracey Morris who at this point must hold the record for the most editorials shot for Genlux. She always comes through and has a great team behind her. Camille Clark did the makeup on this one, and, of course, Robert Steinken, did the hair. As for Genlux covers, I think Marc Baptiste holds the record for the most of those.
All photographers have their strengths and weaknesses. For example, Tracey is crazy good at lighting and understanding the technical aspects of creating a perfectly lit photo. I marvel at watching her and Robert Morris light some of the shots. They'll sooner fly a 12-by silk scrim than sacrifice a great shot because of a harsh shadow. On the other hand, Baptiste is maybe half as good as Tracey at lighting but connects better with the models than any photographer on the planet. Then, there's photographer Erik Almas who's specialty may not be about connecting with the models, but knows how to create magic in post and always produces these award-winning, breathtaking photos. Some photographers are better at shooting beauty than fashion, and then, there are some shooters that shoot great fashion but can't shoot beauty. Most will tell you they shoot everything.
The process of getting a great cover starts with shooting a lot of photos. The nuances from one image to another—that ultimately result in the difference between a good and a great shot—can be captured in those split seconds between the blinks of an eye. That's why you've got to shoot a ton of shots. And who cares? It's only digital. We're not shooting film here folks!
On average we take anywhere between one to two hundred shots of our cover look. From there we go into editing and pick out the top 20 or so. And then the top selects. After going back and forth for about a week poring over the final selects, it comes down to the image that gets the Genlux seal of approval, or, in this case, the UPC seal of commerce.
There are so many things to consider when creating a cover. First is picking the best shot. The one that has the right emotion. The right lighting. The one that's compositionally strong. The one that showcases the best fashion. The one where our cover girl looks beautiful. The one that engages our reader. Then, I take that image and play with how I want to crop it. The questions become: Do I come in really tight on the face (the Genlux signature cover)? Or do I pull back to show more of the fashion? There have been only a few times that I've gone full length—they were three of my favorite girls: Paris Hilton, Lydia Hearst, and Dita Von Teese. These three covers were so strong as full length photographs, so I decided to break the Genlux mold.
VERSION A: Here is our signature Genlux cover. Tight to the face. Graphically strong.
So for this cover, I thought I'd get your opinion. Which cropping you like better? I have my favorite, but I want to see what you guys say. When I asked for your opinion about the Katheryn Winnick cover, you really helped me make the right decision. So here are the two covers. One is tight—like we usually do our Genlux covers; and the second is pulled back slightly. Post on our Genlux facebook page.
VERSION B: Here is a version that shows more fashion. And more or hairstylist Robert Steinken's amazing work.