Recording history: Walter Iooss shoots for Opus

Legendary Sports Illustrated photographer Walter Iooss spent Super Bowl week shooting a series of extraordinary and exclusive portraits of the 34 living Most Valuable Player (MVP) for XL: Forty Years of the Super Bowl. Legends such as Bart Starr, Joe Montana and Tom Brady were photographed in Detroit, with every one of the stunning – and totally unique – portraits to appear as a full page in the remarkable ‘Gallery’ section of the Opus.

The portraits were taken using a camera equally as impressive as the Opus itself. Standing 5-feet (150 cm) high and weighing in at 235 pounds (106 kg), Iooss’s camera is larger than life and is capable of delivering extraordinary images. Developed to accurately reproduce works of art, especially paintings and tapestries, the camera uses special Polaroid instant film which produces a highly detailed negative which, when printed, yields beautiful results.

Walter Iooss is a world-class photographer with a reputation as an innovator and master of the frozen moment. He has a remarkable gift for lighting and composition and is revered by photographers and athletes the world over. His images for XL: Forty years of the Super Bowl are stunning records of some of the greatest American sporting legends of all time, and just one more reason why football fans and collectors the world over are so excited about the monumental epic that is the Opus.

After the mammoth shoot Iooss commented; “the week in Detroit with the Opus team and so many MVP stars was one of the most enjoyable and exciting weeks of my life….and I am proud to be associated with such an awesome project as the XL OPUS.”
Find out more about Walter’s amazing work at www.walteriooss.com