To bring to life this week's cover story on American farming, ten photographers crisscrossed the nation for upwards of a month. Picture Editor Arnold Drapkin and his assistants then sifted through the harvest of hundreds of rolls of film, eventually culling 80 or so photos for consideration. Finally, after a number of lengthy viewings, TIME'S editors selected the color and black-and-white pictures that accompany the text. Drapkin, who became our picture editor last July, has been chasing down the right pictures for TIME for 28 years. Says he: "I look for the added dimension in a shot, as well as its aesthetic quality. Does the photo give information the story cannot offer? Does it evoke the mood of an event or give insight into character? Our pictures are never merely decorative; they are meant to convey facts visually." By necessity, Drapkin is also a detective and travel agent, since, as he says, "the best picture in the world doesn't matter to us if it's not here in my office." Hunting down wanted pictures--and finding ways of transporting them to New York--consumes much of Drapkin's time, and on any given day he may be awaiting couriers from Nairobi, Tokyo or Jerusalem. "Getting a picture is an other form of journalism," explains Drapkin. "Like reporters, we go out, talk to people, develop sources and pick up leads."

The quest for the right picture becomes especially challenging when no one is certain that the desired photo even exists. A case in point: locating a shot of John Paul II enjoying the sport of skiing before he was elected Pope. Reports Assistant Picture Editor Alice Rose George, who led the scramble: "Our researcher in the London bureau was told by a photographer that he knew someone who had taken a skiing holiday in Poland and had some 8-mm movie film of Cardinal Wojtyla in ski clothing. We tracked down the film and ended up with an exclusive shot."

Over the past four years, the number of pictures that TIME regularly runs has jumped by 20%, to nearly 100 an issue, and our increased use of color has compounded the problems faced by Drapkin and George, who head a 19-person department. However, covers like this week's on American farming, the work of Senior Writer George Church, always make the extra effort worthwhile. The photographs, both color and black and white, bring that extra dimension to the story that Drapkin is seeking.

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