ASME cover awards, first place 2008: best leisure interest cover of the year:

The cover of New York magazine’s 2008 Summer Issue, with presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama seemingly relaxing on the beach and fist-bumping, falls in the magazine’s tradition of humorous covers to capture the carefree spirit of summer. The power of the cover comes both from having two candidates in the unlikeliest of places doing the unlikeliest thing, and from the seamless, painting-like execution. Photographer Andrew Eccles shot two body doubles on a studio set, then chose the perfect head shots of the candidates, with meticulous attention to lighting, expression, and angle, to complete the photo-illustration. Like all successful leisure covers, the Summer Issue makes readers smile, and makes them want to have fun.