Walter Iooss

Photographer
Walter Iooss

Walter Iooss has been a professional photographer since the age of 19, shooting a cover for Sports Illustrated when he was 20. With a career spanning over four decades, he is considered to be one of the world’s most preeminent sports photographers.

He is best known for his work seen on nearly 300 Sports Illustrated covers, inclusive of the Swimsuit Editions, as well as his portraits of famous athletes like Michael Jordan, Ken Griffey, Jr., Brett Favre, Joe Montana and Wayne Gretzky. In his career, he has covered virtually every major sports event, including all 43 Super Bowls.

In 1982, his project on athletes who were working their way to the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles resulted in publication of the book Shooting for the Gold. He has published a variety of other books, including Baseball, Football and Sports People. He also created a masterful photo essay with Michael Jordan titled Rare Air.

As of March 7, 2010

On The Web

walteriooss.com
/Walter-Iooss-Photography/178291093239
@walteriooss

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Featured Photographs

  • Bangkok, Thailand, 1995
    Kickboxing
    Photo by: Walter Iooss
  • Kingston, Jamaica, 2008
    Usain Bolt
    Photo by: Walter Iooss
  • Bangkok, Thailand 1995
    Young Kickboxer
    Photo by: Walter Iooss
  • Orlando, FL, 2009
    Arnold Palmer’s Putting Grip
    Photo by: Walter Iooss
  • Philadelphia, PA, 2003 It was easier to get Ali to pose for this picture than it was to get Frazier. Joe still resented all the torment Ali had caused him over the years. Joe finally agreed to pose when we offered to go to his gym in Philadelphia. There’s not much I shoot at this stage of my career that puts me on edge. But this was one of those pictures that I knew would never happen again: the greatest rivalry in modern sports history. I wanted something unique, something monumental. I brought a 20x24 Polaroid camera and near the end they were hamming it up in every shot, I said, “No, no. I don’t want you to do anything. Just stare in the camera, no smiles, just stare.” I did one frame, then a second, and there it was, the picture I was looking for: two battered warriors who’d left their lives in the ring.
    Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier
    Photo by: Walter Iooss
  • Houston Astrodome, Houston, TX, 1967
    Muhammad Ali vs. Ernie Terrell
    Photo by: Walter Iooss
  • Philadelphia, PA, 2005
    Boxer Bernard “The Executioner” Hopkins and Posse - Philadelphia, PA, 2005
    Photo by: Walter Iooss
  • Westwood, CA, 1996
    Gail Devers
    Photo by: Walter Iooss
  • Kahuku, Oahu, HI, 1999
    Malia Jones- Kahuku, Oahu, HI, 1999
    Photo by: Walter Iooss
  • Highland Park, IL, 1998
    Michael Jordan
    Photo by: Walter Iooss
  • Chicago, IL, 1998 The problem with shooting the NBA slam-dunk contest was that you never knew how the players were going to dunk, especially Jordan. As he sat in the stands three hours before the contest, I said, “Michael, can you tell me which way you’re going to go, so I can move and get your face in the picture?” He looked at me as if I were crazy but then said, “Sure. Before I go out to dunk I’ll put my index finger on my knee and point which way I’m going.” So later, when they announced his name, I looked over to him on the bench and there was his finger pointing left.
    Michael Jordan, Slam Dunk Contest - Chicago, IL, 1998
    Photo by: Walter Iooss
  • Highland Park, IL, 1998
    Michael Jordan - Highland Park, IL, 1998
    Photo by: Walter Iooss
  • Lisle, IL, 1987 I had the idea to paint this parking lot blue. I also trucked in an NBA-regulation basket that I could move to create a shadow where I wanted one. I stood in a cherry picker, some 20 or 30 feet above the ground, and looked straight down, waiting for the right light with a camera that took 14 frames a second Michael had young legs back then and could fly. Not only do you see his beautiful form from above, but you also see the same image from the side, in his shadow. Of all the pictures I’ve taken of him, it’s my favorite. It was just so unusual; no one had quite gone there before.
    Michael Jordan, Blue Dunk
    Photo by: Walter Iooss
  • Baltimore, MD, 2002
    Ray Lewis, Baltimore Ravens
    Photo by: Walter Iooss
  • New York, NY, 1997
    Michelle Kwan - New York, NY, 1997
    Photo by: Walter Iooss
  • Mission Viejo, CA, 1984
    Greg Louganis
    Photo by: Walter Iooss
  • Laurel Valley Country Club, Ligonier, PA, 1963
    Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus
    Photo by: Walter Iooss
  • Baltimore, MD, 2004
    Michael Phelps- Baltimore, MD, 2004
    Photo by: Walter Iooss
  • Miami, FL, 2005
    Serena Williams - Miami, FL, 2005
    Photo by: Walter Iooss

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