Cover Coincidence?

My wife and I just returned home after a two week cross-country vacation (more on that another time) and that means yesterday we got to enjoy the thrill of picking up all our held mail at the post office. It really was kind of a thrill to search for the items worth saving amidst all the catalogs, bills, and junk mail: a couple checks, magazines, some bank statements.

But it was one of the magazines that made me pause. I subscribe to Esquire, and received the August issue amidst this new pile. As soon as I saw the cover photo, my first thought was, "hang on a sec, don't I already have this issue?" Here's what the cover looks like:

Then I realized where I'd seen this image before. I also subscribe to Wired magazine, and had just received their July issue before we left for our trip. Here's what that cover looks like:

Very much the same, huh? Not just the camera's low angle, but also the dark suit, the left-shoulder-forward pose, and the soft highlight halo in the background. They look like they were taken the same day by the same person. Could it be?

Turns out, yes, they are taken by the same photographer, and the name is Platon. I looked him up and he's actually done quite a few covers for Esquire in the past, with a similar portrait style. You can check out his website (www.platonphoto.com), which includes his bio and portfolio.

Now, I'm sure this isn't the first time something like this has happened. Certainly, the magazines have different publishers (Esquire = Hearst, Wired = Condé Nast), so you can't blame it on internal miscommunication. And the issues technically have publication dates a month apart. But go to your local newsstand, and I bet you'll see both of these issues currently on the rack. I wonder if this kind of thing really bugs the magazines' editors? Or does it happen more then I've realized?

I might be the only guy who was confused by this, but I hope I'm not the only one who's enjoying it...