February, 1987 in Seattle Washington. Walter Iooss Jr. is at the NBA Slam-Dunk contest to make a photo diary of the event. This was his first slam dunk contest, and as a great photographer, he tried to do his prep weeks before the event - weeks of prep for a shot of a dunk lasting three seconds. Michael Jordan won the contest, becoming an even bigger icon. Iooss, however, looking back at his shots, was less than pleased. He made a key discovery of the dunk contest photos, stating, “If you don’t see the player’s face, there is no picture.” So one year later, he came back to the contest in Chicago, Illinois, to capture the event again. Naturally, the photographer decided to ask if he could get a little bit of help with his photos. A few hours before the dunk contest in 1988, Iooss approached Jordan in the stands and asked if the Bull’s legend could help him out. The two created a system so that Iooss could get a perfect photo; Jordan would put his hand on his knee and signal which way he would be going. Michael came up with the idea, and when Iooss asked if he would remember, all Jordan said was, “You watch.” It is the final dunk attempt; Iooss is positioned under the basket, and a hand signal pointing to the right rests on number twenty-three’s knee on the other side of the court. Iooss repositions to the right of the basket. Simple as that, one of most famous photos in sports history is born through Iooss’s longshot full with elements of dual focal planes that demand the attention of the audience, color that exemplifies passion, and space that illustrates how total domination can be vast. By looking at Walter Iooss Jr.’s iconic Michael Jordan free throw line dunk photo, we see how Jordan won the slam dunk championship in 1988, asserting his dominance and captivating a worldwide audience.

Iooss illustrates in his photo that Jordan is the focal point of the picture, for both the audience in the picture and the audience viewing the picture, creating a dual aspect of focal planes to enhance the significance of MJ. All of the eyes in the arena are pointed towards one figure: Michael Jordan. There is not one set of eyes in the arena that are not pointed at the NBA all-star. This picture holds so much intensity, it looks like the frozen shot could be shattered like ice. The intensity stems from the curious looks of the audience in the arena waiting anxiously for what unforeseen dunk Michael will attempt. All of the gazes are object-oriented and Mike holds the power as the most pivotal part of the photo. He demands the focus of every person in the picture because of its object-oriented nature, essentially dictating the entire arena’s attention. Another focal plane that we, as viewers of the picture, shift our eyes to as a second focus is the beaming light in the upper left hand corner. It is pointing directly at Michael to enhance the main idea of the picture and take our attention off of Jordan and onto the symbolic shining star that lingers above him. Beaming down from the sky, the light can symbolize the north star, and Michael Jordan in this context can be compared to Christ. He captivates the eyes of his worshipping congregation, and is seen as a God. Air Jordan, seems to be flying above the viewer of the picture, making them seem miniscule to the dominance of the giant flying through the heavens above. At one point in time, more people in the world recognized a picture of him as a basketball icon more than a picture of Christ. Directing us to Jordan, this symbolic north star is a focal plane for the viewer, helping to represent dominance. Focal planes point out the most significant objects in every photo, and in this shot, they illustrate how Jordan became a worldwide icon by asserting his dominance. 

Iooss encapsulates colors in this iconic photo that create a greater understanding to the photo as a whole. Red is the color that no doubt catches the eye when first glancing at the photo. Although the color red has, potentially, very many meanings behind it, it is made clear in the context of the photo. Red is a color of great passion, and all of the different shades converge on Jordan to echo the fervor on his face. The passion represented through Michael’s facial expression is enhanced by having a shade of glossy red above and below him, making his jersey the central red of the photo. These two shades of red conspire together to bring MJ’s passion to the foreground and create a complicated image that is impassioned and excited. Another color that enhances the iconic photo is black. Yet again, Jordan’s dominance and power is represented by the color of black that fills the background, and somehow seemingly in the audience. The dark vacuum of hopelessness behind and in the audience, makes Jordan shine out of the background as a beacon of light. Emerging from darkness into the light, the black represents the control Mike has over his entranced audience. Color helps create a further understanding of the domination and passion the legend has to enthrall his audience. 

Iooss utilizes space to show that Michael is the single most dominating force in this photo. He is all by himself and the closest thing to him is the basket and the audience in the distant background. It is just MJ and the vast emptiness that surrounds him, making him the biggest and most dominating part of the picture. The spacing makes it so the only figure the viewer of the picture can see with discrete detail is Michael. The scoreboard far in the background also points out that he is losing at this point in time. With the descriptive detail of the scoreboard in the background, it only leaves the viewer to infer the finale to the contest. Space again shows the dominance of Jordan, and also leaves the viewer of the picture puzzled as to if the Jordan made the dunk and won the contest. 

Walter Iooss Jr.’s photo shows how Michael Jordan asserts his dominance illustrated through the aerial longshot with dual focal planes to determine the most significant figure, color to exemplify passion, and space to point out emptiness of domination. These elements all lead the viewer of the picture to believe that Jordan won the contest, with no doubt whatsoever. The still shot does not prove that, leaving curiosity, but based off background information, we know that MJ again personified his greatness and won the 1988 dunk contest in walk off fashion while cementing his legacy as one of the greatest dunkers of all time. 
