Choosing the image for the magazine cover

OPTION 1:

 

OPTION 2:

OPTION 3:

OPTION 4:

After a long and rather tiresome photo shoot which involved a trekking trip that lasted about 9 hours, about fifty photos were taken which were then narrowed down to four. The ideal cover I had in mind, would be an extreme long shot, would have a lot to portray and would not consist of any human activity whatsoever. Which is linked with the cover's motto that's about informing the target audience of areas that very few have set foot on.

Option 1 was chosen as the cover page, due to it having an appealing and attractive look. The mountains, lake, clouds and streams really fit the idea of a perfect place and almost heavenly. The contrast of all the elements in the photo really weave the image together even though it's hard to imagine so much going on in one photo; naturally that is. 

The other 3 weren't chosen because they weren't quite honestly 'cover material'. Mainly because they seem to be much more attractive when seen from a wide angle or landscape perspective. If turned vertical (for the cover) these pictures would lose their grandeur especially with option 2, which was the 2nd best choice. If any part of the image were cut in order to be processed into the magazine, it would look bare and empty like a twig without leaves.