When working on a photo shoot many photos are taken. They are reviewed, sorted and prioritized. Often the best photos are separated as "cover photos," meaning they're good and unique enough to be used on the cover of a publication.
With a special assignment to shoot a cover photo for a golf course championship we recently did one of our early morning photo shoots. The results were spectacular. As the sun came up and began to back-light the morning clouds we got a great photo of one of the Club's iconic holes, from the tee showing the valley that must be traversed to reach the fairway.
Great photos - - it's all about the timing and the light to capture a Cover Photo.