The editorial team @fieldandstream combined with the digital illustration talents of @thejesselenz really hit a home run with the February 2013 cover. As a professional outdoor photographer you might be surprised to learn that I don't  see many of the photographs we license wind up in print, like the grizzly bear used in the creation of the February 2013 Field and Stream cover below. So, when I saw this collage of images balanced by a photograph of a grizzly bear that I made, it really caught my attention. But, that's not what this post is about. It's about something much larger than Tony Bynum, or any one or even a dozen photos I've had published.

In today's busy publishing world, editors and designers are asked to do more with less. However, a production like this photo illustration requires just the opposite. I imagine this cover took a lot of time, planning, and a huge commitment of resources. So, aside from being an extraordinary photo collage, the time, effort, planning, cooperation, collaboration and teamwork that must have gone into creating this illustration was nothing short of remarkable . . .  Just consider the number of photographs in the collage, then think about all the people that must have worked on the entire production from the photographer to final editor. I'll bet it took hundreds of combined hours to create this piece.

If you just start by imagining the time it took for the photographers to create each photo. Then imagine how long it took the photo editors to find just the right shots. Add the editorial staff and then Jesse Lenz's time and I'll bet there's a 1000 hours into that one illustration. So how did it come about? I was so intrigued with the cover when I saw it, I decided to contact Jesse, and congratulate him on a fantastic piece of work. We talked for awhile about the process of creating the piece and then moved on into other subjects, but my hunch was correct, it took a lot of work and cooperation from everyone.

I think this kind of work is the ultimate expression of team work at a time when it seems that we are suffering from a lack of such commitments.  Sure, each of the images was already created, but finding the right photos that all fit well together and then getting it all done in a timely manner, I'm sure was quite an undertaking.  I applaud the photo editors, designers, and people like Executive Editor, Mike Toth and Managing Editor, Jean McKenna for putting forth the effort and expense to go beyond the norm even in the face of greater work loads, smaller budgets and tighter deadlines.

If you like this cover, or think @fieldandstream are on the right track by working together to make cool stuff, be sure to make a comment or two on this post, or send the editors at @FieldandStream, and @thejesselenz a note and tell them how much you liked the February 2013 Field and Stream cover collage.

Sincerely,

Tony Bynum

If you want to see a really cool portfolio application for your photographs, check out the selection of images created by Tony Bynum over the past couple of years.

Always find me on twitter @tonybynum or facebook at Tony Bynum Photography