Walter Iooss
Encyclopedia
Walter Iooss Jr. is a professional photographer
.
He is best known for his work with Sports Illustrated
magazine, which has featured his photos on its cover several times and for his portrait
s of famous athletes such as Michael Jordan
, Cal Ripken, Jr.
and Ken Griffey, Jr.
. He has produced photographs for the Swimsuit Issue for more than 30 years.
, Walter Iooss moved at the age of five from Temple to East Orange,
New Jersey. In 1959, at the age of 16, he shot his first roll of film at a professional baseball game with a camera his father bought him. The following year he attended the German School of Photography in New York City during the summer. One year later, at the age of 18 years old, Walter got his first assignment from Sports Illustrated—-the same year
he graduated from East Orange High School. Two years later he shot his first cover for Sports Illustrated, but five more years would bring about a change of pace for Walter. Contrary to the sports images that he had been shooting, he then became an in-house photographer for Atlantic Records. Several years ago in 2004, he was awarded with the LUCIE Lifetime Achievement Award for Sports Photography, and he is said to be the foremost sports photographer of his generation and a fixture in American journalism.
in New York, where his subjects included performers like James Brown, Jimi Hendrix
and Janis Joplin
.
In 1982, Iooss was recruited by Fujifilm
to work on an extended study of athletes who were working their way to the 1984 Summer Olympics
in Los Angeles
. The two-and-a-half-year project required him to leave his position on the staff of Sports Illustrated (though he continued to contribute) and resulted in the publication of the book Shooting for the Gold.
In the late 1980s, Iooss was commissioned to photograph advertising campaigns for Camel cigarettes
.
In 1993, Iooss' work was featured on 27 baseball cards in an Upper Deck
set dubbed "The Iooss Collection."
Though he has worked with the most renowned athletes and models
of his time, Iooss also has photographed Cuba
n kids playing ball in the street and captured the raw desire of Thai
kickboxers
. According to Iooss, "The real joy of photography is these moments. I'm always looking for freedom, the search for the one-on-one. That's when your instincts come out."
. He has a wife named Eva and two sons, Christian and Bjorn.
Photojournalism
Photojournalism is a particular form of journalism that creates images in order to tell a news story. It is now usually understood to refer only to still images, but in some cases the term also refers to video used in broadcast journalism...
.
He is best known for his work with Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
magazine, which has featured his photos on its cover several times and for his portrait
Portrait
thumb|250px|right|Portrait of [[Thomas Jefferson]] by [[Rembrandt Peale]], 1805. [[New-York Historical Society]].A portrait is a painting, photograph, sculpture, or other artistic representation of a person, in which the face and its expression is predominant. The intent is to display the likeness,...
s of famous athletes such as Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan
Michael Jeffrey Jordan is a former American professional basketball player, active entrepreneur, and majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats...
, Cal Ripken, Jr.
Cal Ripken, Jr.
Calvin Edwin "Cal" Ripken, Jr. , nicknamed "Iron Man", is a former Major League Baseball shortstop and third baseman. He played his entire 21-year baseball career for the Baltimore Orioles ....
and Ken Griffey, Jr.
Ken Griffey, Jr.
George Kenneth "Ken" Griffey, Jr. , nicknamed "Junior" and "The Kid", is a former Major League Baseball outfielder and during his final years, designated hitter...
. He has produced photographs for the Swimsuit Issue for more than 30 years.
Birth and early life
Born in Temple, TexasTemple, Texas
Temple is a city in Bell County, Texas, United States. Located near the county seat of Belton, Temple lies in the region referred to as Central Texas. Located off Interstate 35, Temple is 65 miles north of Austin and 34 miles south of Waco. In the 2010 Census, Temple's population was 66,102, an...
, Walter Iooss moved at the age of five from Temple to East Orange,
New Jersey. In 1959, at the age of 16, he shot his first roll of film at a professional baseball game with a camera his father bought him. The following year he attended the German School of Photography in New York City during the summer. One year later, at the age of 18 years old, Walter got his first assignment from Sports Illustrated—-the same year
he graduated from East Orange High School. Two years later he shot his first cover for Sports Illustrated, but five more years would bring about a change of pace for Walter. Contrary to the sports images that he had been shooting, he then became an in-house photographer for Atlantic Records. Several years ago in 2004, he was awarded with the LUCIE Lifetime Achievement Award for Sports Photography, and he is said to be the foremost sports photographer of his generation and a fixture in American journalism.
Career 1968–
From 1968 through 1972, Iooss was an in-house photographer for Atlantic RecordsAtlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
in New York, where his subjects included performers like James Brown, Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
and Janis Joplin
Janis Joplin
Janis Lyn Joplin was an American singer, songwriter, painter, dancer and music arranger. She rose to prominence in the late 1960s as the lead singer of Big Brother and the Holding Company and later as a solo artist with her backing groups, The Kozmic Blues Band and The Full Tilt Boogie Band...
.
In 1982, Iooss was recruited by Fujifilm
Fujifilm
is a multinational photography and imaging company headquartered in Tokyo, Japan.Fujifilm's principal activities are the development, production, sale and servicing of color photographic film, digital cameras, photofinishing equipment, color paper, photofinishing chemicals, medical imaging...
to work on an extended study of athletes who were working their way to the 1984 Summer Olympics
1984 Summer Olympics
The 1984 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Los Angeles, California, United States in 1984...
in Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
. The two-and-a-half-year project required him to leave his position on the staff of Sports Illustrated (though he continued to contribute) and resulted in the publication of the book Shooting for the Gold.
In the late 1980s, Iooss was commissioned to photograph advertising campaigns for Camel cigarettes
Camel (cigarette)
Camel is a brand of cigarettes that was introduced by American company R.J. Reynolds Tobacco in the summer of 1913. Most current Camel cigarettes contain a blend of Turkish tobacco and Virginia tobacco. Early in 2008 the blend was changed as was the package design.-History:In 1913, R.J...
.
In 1993, Iooss' work was featured on 27 baseball cards in an Upper Deck
Upper deck
Upper deck may refer to :* The Upper Deck Company, an American trading card business* The upper deck is the highest level internal deck on a ship, i.e. just below the superstructure and open deck....
set dubbed "The Iooss Collection."
Though he has worked with the most renowned athletes and models
Supermodel
The term supermodel refers to a highly-paid fashion model who usually has a worldwide reputation and often a background in haute couture and commercial modeling. The term became prominent in the popular culture of the 1980s. Supermodels usually work for top fashion designers and labels...
of his time, Iooss also has photographed Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
n kids playing ball in the street and captured the raw desire of Thai
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
kickboxers
Kickboxing
Kickboxing refers to a group of martial arts and stand-up combat sports based on kicking and punching, historically developed from karate, Muay Thai and western boxing....
. According to Iooss, "The real joy of photography is these moments. I'm always looking for freedom, the search for the one-on-one. That's when your instincts come out."
Exhibitions
Iooss' photographs have been exhibited numerous times, most recently at the Newseum in Washington, D.C., in a show titled "Athlete: The Sports Illustrated Photography of Walter Iooss," and at the Annenberg Space for Photography in Los Angeles, in a show titled "SPORT: Iooss & Leifer."Personal
Walter Iooss is represented by Stockland MartelStockland Martel
Stockland Martel is a photo-representation agency headquartered in New York and founded in 1983 by Bill Stockland and Maureen Martel . The first person they signed was Walter Iooss, and in the years since they have developed a diverse international roster of award-winning photographers...
. He has a wife named Eva and two sons, Christian and Bjorn.
External links
- Walter Iooss Background
- Walter Iooss' personal web site
- "Gallery: Walter Iooss' Sports Photos," TIME.com http://www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1868304,00.html