Remembering Heinz Kluetmeier: The Visionary Who Revolutionized Underwater Sports Photography at 82

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Photographer Heinz Kluetmeier is likely most recognized for his remarkable collection of over 100 Sports Illustrated cover images, including a legendary capture of the 1980 ‘Miracle on Ice’ US Olympic hockey victory against the Soviet Union and the 2008 underwater image that validated Michael Phelps’ seventh gold medal achievement.

To many, Kluetmeier was also viewed as a forerunner in the innovation behind those memorable sports visuals, as he was the first to explore underwater cameras at swimming events.

Kluetmeier, a sports photographer who dedicated over 30 years with Sports Illustrated, passed away at the age of 82 on January 14 after battling Parkinson’s disease, as reported by his family.

He served as a staff photographer for Sports Illustrated from 1979 until 2009, holding the position of director of photography, and continued to contribute until 2016. Kluetmeier became known for his images capturing significant moments in sports history. Moreover, he was the pioneer in employing various technologies in the arena of sports photography throughout his career that extended over 50 years, transitioning from film to the digital era.

During the world swimming championships in 1991, he tested an underwater camera – making him the first to introduce underwater camera technology to the domain of sports photography. The year after, he utilized an underwater camera to document the Olympics in Barcelona.

Kluetmeier continued to incorporate underwater photography into his profession for many years. In 2008, he photographed an iconic moment that demonstrated Michael Phelps’ victory in the 100m butterfly, taking an underwater shot looking upward as Phelps’ fingers curved with the force against the wall just as the second-place swimmer’s fingers grazed. He was inducted into the Swimming Hall of Fame in 2017, the sole photographer to achieve this honor to date.

Nonetheless, the innovation behind the 2008 Phelps image was possibly just as legendary. During that year, Kluetmeier collaborated with his aide Jeff Kavanaugh to devise an underwater camera configuration that was connected, automatically transferring the photographs to a computer positioned above the surface. This advancement is a prominent illustration of how the industry evolved over Kluetmeier’s tenure, as he actually acquired his pilot’s license and transported his own film rolls back to the office in the 1970s and 1980s, according to Sports Illustrated.

Besides his groundbreaking contributions to underwater sports photography, Kluetmeier is also regarded as the first photographer to utilize strobes at an indoor football game during the 1981 Sugar Bowl.

Photography evolved tremendously from the moment Kluetmeier was 15, capturing images of the Green Bay Packers, to his retirement in 2016. During those initial NFL encounters, the young photographer operated a Nikon S. Kluetmeier’s own personal selection of his favorite photographs would eventually be significantly characterized by the Canon EOS-1DS Mark II, alongside the Canon EOS-1V film camera.

While Kluetmeier achieved numerous technical milestones throughout his career, he was once quoted expressing that the technical aspects were inconsequential. “I think that technique and technical aspects are completely irrelevant to the image in terms of what you accomplish as a photographer,” he stated. “I believe the most essential factor is to have a vision, to possess an emotional connection, to care deeply about what you’re documenting, and to have something intrinsic within your heart, in your eyes.”

Kluetmeier arguably attributes a significant part of his beginnings to his parents, who relocated to the United States from Germany when he was nine years of age. His mother was employed by the Associated Press, and one of her photographs of him at age 13 is said to have ignited his passion for photography. His father motivated him to pursue engineering in college, skeptical about the stability of a profession as a photographer, a foundation that would later assist Kluetmeier in modifying his underwater cameras.

Sports Illustrated’s Jon Wertheim reminisced about the photographer as an individual who would take chances with his photographs. “There are no strict, unwavering rules regarding success in America. However, when you possess a portfolio featuring Vince Lombardi and John F Kennedy before you reach the legal drinking age in Milwaukee, you’ve certainly succeeded in carving out your niche,” Wertheim wrote.

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