Back Cover
I’ve spent most of the last week in Southern Utah’s Zion National Park. One day while in the Visitors’ Center I spotted a copy of the Zion Canyon Field Institute’s 2007 Catalog. There was only a single copy left on the table where I found it. I turned it over to reveal my picture of the Desert Big Horn Sheep on the back cover. It was fun seeing my image on display in their bookstore.
I mused over it for a few moments as I looked at the calendars and other merchandise on that table. I then moved off to the wall-mounted rack of hats adjacent to the table. While trying on hats, an older couple stepped to the table and spotted the ZCFI catalog. Pointing at my Big Horn image, the lady said: “Oh, look at that!” He picked it up and said: “Wow, that’s a lot of them.” She said: ” I hope we get to see some.” He thumbed through the catalog and they took it with them as they walked away.
It’s always good feedback when, as an anonymous bystander, a photographer gets to see such candid response to his work. Had the comments/response been favorable or not, it would still have been totally valuable feedback.
I expect this couple’s reaction is exactly the response publication editors want from cover images — generate enough interest to get the browser to take a copy with them. It was nice to see the strategy work. It was especially rewarding to watch it happen with one of my images.
I inquired at the desk and they said they would put more ZCFI catalogs out.