Walter Iooss Jr. was born in 1943 Texas to a family of sports fans, which would shape his photography focus. At age 15, his father gave him a camera: "within a year, he had begun photographing professional football games. At just 17, he got his first assignment for Sports Illustrated. By 20, he was shooting the magazine's covers.
Iooss's images have appeared on over 300 covers of Sports Illustrated—more than any other photographer in the world. " - Walter Iooss Website

"In a career spanning more than 60 years, he has worked with almost every athlete at the top of their game, including Muhammad Ali, Michael Jordan, Pele, Cristiano Ronaldo, Michael Phelps, Tiger Woods, Serena Williams, Kelly Slater, and Kobe Bryant. " - Iooss Website