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Walter Iooss, 'The Catch' Dwight Clark, San Francisco, CA , 1982Widely considered the world’s most influential sports photographer, Walter Iooss Jr. has helped define the visual language of modern sports for more than six decades. Often described as “the Rembrandt of sports photography” for his masterful use of light, shadow, color, and composition, Iooss’s images transcend the fame of their subjects to become enduring symbols of athletic excellence and contemporary sports culture. His photographs appeared on more than 300 covers of Sports Illustrated—more than any other photographer in the magazine’s history—over a career that spanned 58 years with the publication.
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Walter Iooss, Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, 1993
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Among Iooss’s most celebrated photographs are images that have come to define the visual memory of modern sports. His photograph of Michael Jordan soaring through the air for a gravity-defying slam dunk distilled Jordan’s athletic dominance into a single, timeless gesture and is widely cited as a defining image of basketball’s global ascent. Equally enduring is his coverage of The Catch, the legendary moment between the San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys, frequently referenced by historians and journalists as a turning point in NFL history and one of the most consequential plays ever photographed. These images endure not merely as records of athletic achievement, but as photographs that shaped how those moments are remembered. His legacy and influence were further examined in the three-part documentary series GOATs: The Greatest of All Time, produced by ESPN, which explored the greatest athletes in history through Iooss’s photographs.
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Walter Iooss, Tony Scott & Garry Templeton, Los Angeles, CA, 1979
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Iooss’s photographs are held in the permanent collections of major American museums, including the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the Delaware Art Museum, the Asheville Art Museum, the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the Bates College Museum of Art, and the Michael C. Carlos Museum at Emory University. In 2018, he was inducted into the International Photography Hall of Fame, cementing his legacy as a central figure in the history of photography.
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Walter Iooss, Wilt Chamberlain, Boston, MA, 1967
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Walter Iooss, Tunnels Beach, Haena, Kauai, Hawaii, 1976
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Walter Iooss, The Blue Dunk, Michael Jordan, Lisle, IL, 1987
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Walter Iooss, Swimmer, Boca Raton, FL, 1990
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Walter Iooss, Wayne Gretsky, Los Angeles, CA, 1991
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Walter Iooss,The Slam Dunk #1, Michael Jordan, Chicago, IL, 1988
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Walter Iooss, Dan Marino, Miami, FL, 1985
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Walter Iooss, Street Ball, New York, NY, 1971
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Walter Iooss, The Corner, Havana, Cuba, 1999
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Walter Iooss, Arnold Palmer, Bethesda, MD, 1964
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Walter Iooss, Dave Parker & Grant Jackson, Bradenton, FL, 1980
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Walter Iooss, Arnold Palmer, Springfield, NJ, 1967
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Walter Iooss, Arnold Palmer & Jack Nicklaus, Ligonier, PA, 1965
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Walter Iooss, Jim Rice, Boston, MA, 1979
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Walter Iooss, Hank Aaron, Philadelphia, PA, 1963
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Walter Iooss, Jack Nicklaus, Chaska, MN, 1970
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Walter Iooss, Jimmy Orr, Baltimore, MD, 1962
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Walter Iooss, Kevin Garnett, Minneapolis, MN, 1999
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Walter Iooss, Greg Lopuganis, Indianapolis, IN, 1983
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Walter Iooss, Don January, Columbine Valley, CO, 1967
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Walter Iooss, Kelly Slater, Melbourne Beach, FL, 1990
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Walter Iooss, Johnny Keane, St Petersberg, FL, 1963
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Walter Iooss, John McEnroe, Flushing, NY, 1980
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Walter Iooss, Mickey Mantle & Roger Maris, Yankee Stadium, The Bronx, NY, 1962
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Walter Iooss, Michael Jordan, Detroit, MI, 1987
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Walter Iooss, Ken Griffey Jr., Seattle, WA, 1996
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Walter Iooss, Michael Jordan, 1993
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Walter Iooss, Earl Weaver, Batimore, MD, 1979
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Walter Iooss, Muhammad Ali & Ernie Terrell, Houston, TX, 1967
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Walter Iooss, Swimmers, Havana, Cuba, 1999
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Walter Iooss, N.Y. Giants vs. Pittsburgh Steelers, Bronx, NY, 1962
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Walter Iooss, Tommy Chamberlain, Hanalei Bay, HI, 1976
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Walter Iooss, Michael Jordan, Highland Park, IL, 1993
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Walter Iooss, Muhammad Ali & Ernie Terrell, Houston, TX, 1967
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Walter Iooss, Serena Williams, Key Biscayne, FL, 2006
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Walter Iooss, Bill Russell, Jerry Lucas, Cincinnati, OH, 1966
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Walter Iooss, Roberto Clemente, New York, NY, 1962
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Walter Iooss, Walt Garrison & Diron Talbert, Washington, D.C., 1975
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Walter Iooss, Roger Maris Hits His 61st Home Run, Bronx, NY, 1961
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Walter Iooss, Untitled (Stephen Curry)
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Walter Iooss, Woody Bennet & the Miami Dolphins, Miami Beach, FL, 1985
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Walter Iooss, Pele, New York, NY, 1989
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Walter Iooss, Sandy Koufax, Minneapolis, MN, 1965
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Walter Iooss, Phil Jackson, Mel Counts, Los Angeles, CA, 1973
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Walter Iooss, Yachting, Caracas, Venezuela, 1983
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Walter Iooss, Tiger Woods, Carlsbad, CA, 2000
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Walter Iooss, Randy Lerch, Los Angeles, CA, 1979
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Walter Iooss, Jump Ball, Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Boston, MA, 1967
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Walter Iooss, U.S. Synchronized A Swim Team, Caracas, Venezuela, 1983
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Walter Iooss, Bill Russell, Elgin Baylor, Los Angeles, CA, 1966
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Walter Iooss, Cloud Diver, Boca Raton, FL, 1990
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Walter Iooss, Jack Nicklaus, West Palm Beach, FL, 1967
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Walter Iooss, Chi Chi Rodriguez, Bloomfield Hills, MI, 1964
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Walter Iooss, Arnold Palmer, Chaska, MN, 1970
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Walter Iooss, Willie Mays, Milwaukee, WI, 1966
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Walter Iooss, Michael Phelps, Baltimore, Maryland, 2004
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