The Legend of Udonis Haslem, Cover Photoshoot for Venice Magazine

I remember meeting and photographing Udonis in 2006 when the Heat had won it’s first title. At that shoot, I also photographed the whole team, including Shaq. It was interesting that for me, Udonis was the player that seemed the most intense and committed. He seemed tough and disciplined to the core. On our shoot today, he exudes that same intensity and discipline. Udonis has just signed on for his 18th season with the Miami Heat. I love this guy! He has a fun side and a great outlook. Photographing him again was truly inspirational.

In the Venice magazine story, Michael McCullugh, the executive VP of the Heat and chief marketing officer is quoted saying “Udonis is just that guy who brings his lunch pail in a city that everybody thinks isn’t a lunch pail kind of place. Everybody sees Miami and they see South Beach; he is what the real Miami is. He is the epitome, and the embodiment of what Heat culture is,” and goes on to say “The ultimate sacrificer, the hard worker, the one who sheds the spotlight, the one who doesn’t care for the adulation and does whatever it takes for the team to be successful.”

We photographed Udonis at the Lago Mar Beach Resort and Club. We’ve done a few shoots based there and have always found everyone to be super helpful and friendly. These guys are pros at making everything run smoothly and everyone feel good. The facilities are spotless, and the bars, pools, and beach are a fun time.

We had decided to shoot several different looks with Udonis, so we came with the A team and a bunch of gear. We wanted the Cover to be shot on white with a defining shadow on the background. We were able to use a one light set up, managed by our very skilled 1st assistant/lighting director Miguel. Once we had that set up and tested, we set up a set on black for some headshots and close ups. The black set was a three-sided tent with a small softbox from the right and a thin opening on the side and behind Udonis to create a defining edge on the shadow side of his face.

Once we had several shots from different angles on black, including some close ups of his hands and tattoos, we moved outside. We had him in a bathing suit dunking the basket at the outdoor court and jumping over me as I was laying down. We used large silver/gold sunbounce reflectors as our main fill lights and the sun as a backlight.

The last shots were of him in a dress suit against the late afternoon sun and sky on the beach.

All in all, we created a library of images that were cover material and great images for the inside story. Udonis had a great time and was a true pro! Always willing to try our idea and always willing to go for it!

Thanks U!

Photographer: George Kamper 


Stylist: Kirk Bardole


Groomer: Leslie Munsell


Grooming assistant: Sherryl Kamper


Digital tech: Orlando Noa


Production assistants: Miguel Mori and Jose Arizmendi


Gear & lights: Vortex Productions


Retouching: Christine Johnson


Behind the scenes footage: Sherryl Kamper

Additional BTS footage: Jorge Gonzalez

Shot on location at Lago Mar Beach Resort & Club.