Thanks to all of you who responded last year in my calendar cover selection process. It is that time again, and I’ve thrown together a few mock ups for a possible cover for my 2014 Alaska Profiles in Nature Calendar. The design will see some tweaks for sure, but what I’m looking for is the main image for the cover. When looking at this consider the attraction value, Alaska representation, and buying crowd.
Your comments are greatly welcome. Here are the ones I’m considering.
Sleeping polar bear
Dall sheep
Moose and Denali
Muskox
Polar bear and snowfall
Hugging polar bears
The Musk Ox does it for me. Way cool.
I like the polar bear and snowfall. It looks like the bear is just happy to be there enjoying the moment – exactly what you want readers to do.
I love them all. I especially love the Muskox with the dark Alaska title. However, I think the sleeping polar bear is the most likely to make people want to buy an Alaska calendar. And I like it’s really ‘clean’ look. The one thing about the Muskox is that it might stand out more next to other Alaska calendars. All great shots. Can’t wait to see what you decide and the final cover.
Musk Ox or the Dall Sheep for me. My favorite is the Dall Sheep it features both your landscape and wildlife skills.
Dall sheep and then muskox.
They’re all amazing but of the ones shown here to choose from, I really like Polar bear and snowfall best. It’s a different pose of the bear than we usually see and kind of implies “Ahh fresh snow” the same way a summer photo might say “Ahh – Sunshine.” And it’s a bit of a different profile of the bears than we usually see in photos. Great shots – all of them.
Agree the sleeping polor bear is probably the most commercially viable… but I like the muskox one the best!
*polar* 🙂
Love the hugging polar bears, but I just love moose, no matter how many times I see them.
So hard to choose! But I love the polar and the falling snow. He just looks like he’s loving life!
But my second choice would be something that doesn’t shout winter, which would be the moose one for sure!
Polar bear and snowfall.
The sleeping bear, then Musk Ox.
Well this is unfair. You should have 12 calendars with your images. I assume the fantastic Sleeping Polar Bear will win, but I’m going with the Moose & Denali for your perservance in hanging in there to get this incredible shot!
1. Muskox (very dramatic & attention-grabbing) OR
2. Snowy polar bear.
I think the first sleeping bear looks very like a calendar cover… which is why I didn’t pick it. But I love them all, Patrick – stunning. Love your photography, can’t wait to see the finished calendar.
First choice: Sleeping polar bear. Second choice: Muskox. However, I would be happy to see any of the above on the cover!
Patrick,
My Top choice would be the Musk Ox with a tie for 2nd between the two Denali animal shots. I choose those two over the polar bear images because Denali Screams Alaska! Still the Musk Ox to me is the Most Powerful image of those you chose to use.
All excellent images & all tough choices to be sure but that Musk Ox makes ya feel he is about to head butt you & I love those eyes!
Great work, can’t wait to see all the images you’ve chosen
Shalom
Chuck Ashley
We all like the moose and sleeping polar bear. Can’t wait to see which one makes the cover.
I like the Musk Ox or the Dall Sheep.
The moose is a classic Denali photo, which is good except that it isn’t as unique as last two photos of the polar bears. I really can’t decide which polar bear photo is my favorite…
What I don’t like about the Dall Sheep photo is that the snow-covered peaks and the bold title, “ALASKA”, are competing for attention. It just doesn’t feel comfortable to me.
There’s my 2 cents.
I think I like the second-to-last photo better than the last. The falling snow is a very pleasing texture. However, the more that I look at the sleeping bear, the more I like it..it would be hard to go wrong with either one.
Musk ox! Bold, arresting, and it immediately says you’re not in the lower 48 anymore. I like the Dall’s sheep and landscape a lot too, but it might be tougher design wise.
I would have to say either the Dall Sheep or Sleeping Polar Bear
What a difficult problem to have! These are all wonderful, but I like any of the three polar bear pix. If I have to choose just one, it’d be the hugging polar bears. The expressions are so sweet on each of them. It exudes such love.
Sleeping polar bear or polar bear and snowfall. They are so cute. And the colors on the cover so serene. . .
I’m loving the Musk Ox. It’s so dramatic and unique. My second choice: Polar Bear in the snow. It is as peaceful as the Musk Ox is powerful.
I could see why you need helping in picking, ALL are wonderful photos.
To entice people to purchase I think the snowfall and bears work well.
I just met with a travel agent to book a trip to Alaska next late June….I cannot wait. Any suggestions where to go, please send my way.
I vote for the Dall sheep. Love those mountains, and it couldn’t be anywhere but Alaska. Jerry agrees.
The overall design/layout of the sleeping polar bear is great. I also like the polar bear in snow. I think either would have a lot of appeal to a wide audience. I love the Dall sheep one, too, but think it might appeal more to people who know Alaska better than the average visitor.
I’m a believer in the KISS principle, and keeping a cover simple (but bold) I think tends to work best. With that in mind, as you’ve presented them, either the sleeping polar bear or musk ox would be my first two picks. I love the polar bear in snow as well, but think the bear is a bit too small (of course you could crop the photo a bit to increase the bear’s presence and make it a bit bolder). While I love the dall sheep and moose photos, I think they’re too busy for a cover designed to attract eyeballs. You might want to play around with the musk ox photo/design to see if you can separate the “Alaska” from the top of the ox’s body.
Also, nice to see some familiar names/former travel colleagues among the commenters. 🙂
I think that photographers would go for the ‘favourites’ that others have ticked. But if you’re wanting a cover that will get an emotional response from people in shops (do you sell in shops in Alaska?), then you’ll get that response with your hugging bears. It made me go “they’re so gorgeous”. The other one with the emotional ‘tug’ is the bear+snowfall.
My fav has been the first picture of laying bear ever since you posted it. All the other photos are typical and expected. This one is like a zen Bhudda in white.
Colors, pose,wide body, serene look, simple uncluttered clean. My humble vote
Hugging polar bears for sure!!!
First pick is Sleeping Bear, second would be Musk Ox.
Gotta go with what sells, cute animals, and cute human babies dressed up as fruit. Did I say the word “cute” yet?
Sleeping polar bear. Not only is it a beautiful shot it’s appropriate because of the peril the polar bear is facing . . .
I agree with Darris. The sleeping polar bear. Second place the Musk ox.
Sleeping Bear first but a close second are the Hugging Bears
All covers
Regards
Emlyn
Musk Ox
They are all so beautiful. I do like the Hugging Bears- Musk Ox and only mentioned once above is the Moose. His stance is like leading you into something…like your calendar. The hugging Bears shows a very unusual captured moment. Which suggests there are more magical photos inside. The Ox makes a statement of Stop which might serve the purpose of stop and look at the other marvelous shots I have. There, I narrowed down to 3, hope it helps.
They are all beautiful pictures. My first choice would be the Polar bear and snowfall. Then the Hugging polar bear.
Dall sheep.
I think that the sleeping polar bar is by far the most memorable and evokes the most emotion. The others are beautiful Alaska pics, but have seen many similar…not the sleeping bear.
I believe the Dall Sheep show both wildlife and the vast landscape of the the last frontier. (From a guy who cannot get enough of polar bears)
it’s the musk ox for me (and I love polar bears) what an amazing photo! The dall sheep is a pretty imposing picture as well and then all the polar bears would be my next choices (any; they’re all gorgeous) 🙂
The sleeping polar bear has the “cute factor” and the most universal appeal but I am drawn repeatedly to the musk ox. It makes me want to open the calendar and see what else you’ve got up your sleeve that’s extraordinary!
The sleeping polar bear is my favorite. The image reflects on the complete inocence of Nature!
Although the musk ox is amazing, I don’t think it screams “Alaska” to the average tourist. In my opinion, the sleeping polar bear will sell the best. Second choice would be Denali because Denali sells. But they are all beautiful, Patrick!
Boy, this is a tough one because they are all amazing. I would probably pick the Polar bear and snowfall cover.
I think this photo is great and will help sell a ton of calenders as well as larger photo prints.
We can all use a hug now & then…. the polar bears hugging do it for me!
Hey thanks everyone for your thoughtful comments. It’s always a tough decision, as my favorite may not be the majority, or market-buying choice. It is helpful to get additional feedback when objectivity gets lost.
Hugging Polar Bears!!! I love anything that shows compassion and interaction with one another. Even animals have a story to tell.
The hugging polar bear photo is saturated with anthropomorphism. Viewers will have an immediate, visceral, emotional connection with the image, which – like all the photos – is also very aesthetically pleasing. I was pretty ambivalent scrolling through all the images, but the last one really jumped out. I mean, they’re all magnificent images, but for a commercial calendar cover, making an immediate emotional connection with a potential buyer seems paramount. For me, the hugging bears photo is the one that would get the second look on the magazine rack. (OK, third look. They’d all get a second look. 🙂 )
Tim,
Thanks for your thoughtful reply, it was a tough choice, and I did like the emotive feel of the hugging polar bears. Perhaps it will make it in another year.
I like the sleeping polar bear – and I think with those bears in the news, it will attract buyers. It does have that cute factor, too. For drama, the dall sheep w/ mountains is great.
Thanks Theresa, the sleeping polar bear won out.