{"id":413562,"date":"2026-02-07T21:55:10","date_gmt":"2026-02-07T21:55:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/413562\/"},"modified":"2026-02-07T21:55:10","modified_gmt":"2026-02-07T21:55:10","slug":"this-74-year-old-sports-photographer-is-the-only-person-to-shoot-every-super-bowl-in-history-super-bowl-lx-will-likely-be-his-last","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/413562\/","title":{"rendered":"This 74-year-old sports photographer is the only person to shoot every Super Bowl in history. Super Bowl LX will likely be his last"},"content":{"rendered":"<p id=\"72b5fd09-7732-4a34-a6d6-c940c6021db9\">The Super Bowl comes with a few givens \u2013 championship-level athleticism, the best commercials of the year \u2013 and, on the sidelines, John Biever with his camera. Biever, 74, is the only photographer to photograph every single Super Bowl game, and after Sunday, the longtime photographer plans to retire, making Super Bowl LX his last.<\/p>\n<p>In fact, Biever\u2019s history on the sidelines starts before the NFL\u2019s national championship game even earned the Super Bowl moniker. He was just 14 <a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2026\/02\/04\/nx-s1-5690373\/a-photographer-will-achieve-a-milestone-record-at-super-bowl-lx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2026\/02\/04\/nx-s1-5690373\/a-photographer-will-achieve-a-milestone-record-at-super-bowl-lx\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-hl-processed=\"none\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\">when he photographed the NFL Championship Game in 1965<\/a>, alongside his father, Vern Biever, who was the team photographer for the Green Bay Packers. Despite being only 14, one of the images that he took at the 1965 game between the Packers and the Cleveland Browns was published in a magazine, a black-and-white photo of quarterback Bart Starr.<\/p>\n<p>The following year, Biever would photograph the Packers&#8217; win in the first-ever Super Bowl, again alongside his dad, who would go on to photograph 35 Super Bowls alongside his son. The first ever Super Bowl wasn\u2019t the same crowds \u2013 or number of photographers \u2013 that the game has today. One of <a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/7020895\/2026\/02\/05\/nfl-super-bowl-photos-photographers-best\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/7020895\/2026\/02\/05\/nfl-super-bowl-photos-photographers-best\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-hl-processed=\"none\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\">Biever\u2019s all-time favorite photos<\/a> shows wide receiver Max McGee running to the end zone with a line of empty seats behind him.<\/p>\n<p>You may like<\/p>\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\" style=\"padding-top:100.00%;\">\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/yh4d2HyYNXmerNyDemHTFS.jpg\" alt=\"HOUSTON, TX - FEBRUARY 5: Photographers Michael Zagaris, Peter Read Miller and John Biever stand in front of NRG Stadium prior to Super Bowl 51 between the Atlanta Falcons and the New England Patriots at NRG Stadium on February 5, 2017 in Houston, Texas. Between the three of the they have shot a combined 129 Super Bowls with Zagaris shooting 39, Miller shooting 39 and Biever shooting all 51 Super Bowls. (Photo by Michael Zagaris\/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Michael Zagaris;Peter Read Miller, John Biever\"   loading=\"lazy\" data-new-v2-image=\"true\" data-original-mos=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/yh4d2HyYNXmerNyDemHTFS.jpg\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/yh4d2HyYNXmerNyDemHTFS.jpg\" class=\"inline expandable\"\/><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/yh4d2HyYNXmerNyDemHTFS.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"expand-button icon-expand-image icon\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/yh4d2HyYNXmerNyDemHTFS.jpg\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-hl-processed=\"none\"><\/p>\n<p>John Biever (on the right) stands in front of the NRG Stadium with two other photographers, Michael Zagaris and Peter Read Miller, before Super Bowl 51 in 2017. (Image credit: Michael Zagaris \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n<p id=\"a86ed84b-8d78-4072-9acc-fddc92d45675\">\u201cFirst of all, there weren\u2019t that many photographers on the sideline for the first one, like there are now,\u201d Biever <a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/sports.yahoo.com\/articles\/bart-starr-everyone-photographer-john-070457068.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" data-url=\"https:\/\/sports.yahoo.com\/articles\/bart-starr-everyone-photographer-john-070457068.html\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-hl-processed=\"none\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\">told the Associated Press<\/a>. \u201cI remember Bob Hope being next to me at one point on the sidelines at the first Super Bowl. Hollywood stars would show up and just walk on the field and go where they wanted to go. And here\u2019s Bob Hope, and it\u2019s like, wow, for a kid from Wisconsin, that\u2019s pretty cool.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a id=\"elk-seasonal\"\/><\/p>\n<p id=\"a86ed84b-8d78-4072-9acc-fddc92d45675-1\">Now, Biever has noted that there are usually three rows of photographers, and the sidelines have far less room to move around.<\/p>\n<p>The second year, the teenage photographer would catch the winning touchdown for the 1967 Ice Bowl on film, a touchdown that allowed the Packers \u2013 and the Bievers \u2013 to photograph the second Super Bowl too.<\/p>\n<p>The Packers&#8217; Super Bowl streak ended after the first two, but Vernon Biever\u2019s friend at NFL Films helped the father-son photo team get passes for the next several games, until both of the Vievers received full NFL credentials.<\/p>\n<p class=\"newsletter-form__strapline\">The best camera deals, reviews, product advice, and unmissable photography news, direct to your inbox!<\/p>\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\" style=\"padding-top:75.02%;\">\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Jr57oXsSiwgRgAD2JFnjAN.jpg\" alt=\"Football: Super Bowl XLIX: New England Patriots Danny Amendola (80) in action, 4-yard touchdown catch vs Seattle Seahawks Earl Thomas (29) during 4th quarter at University of Phoenix Stadium.&#10;Glendale, AZ 2\/1\/2015&#10;CREDIT: John Biever (Photo by John Biever \/Sports Illustrated\/Getty Images)&#10;(Set Number: X159217 TK1 )\"   loading=\"lazy\" data-new-v2-image=\"true\" data-original-mos=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Jr57oXsSiwgRgAD2JFnjAN.jpg\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Jr57oXsSiwgRgAD2JFnjAN.jpg\" class=\"inline expandable\"\/><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Jr57oXsSiwgRgAD2JFnjAN.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"expand-button icon-expand-image icon\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Jr57oXsSiwgRgAD2JFnjAN.jpg\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-hl-processed=\"none\"><\/p>\n<p>John Biever captured this touchdown shot the last time that the Seahawks and Patriots faced off at a Super Bowl in 2015 (Image credit: John Biever \/ Sports Illustrated \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n<p id=\"ff9fd045-f95d-46db-aafa-462b89e59b93\">John Biever would go on to college, then work as a photo journalist before spending 30 years with Sports Illustrated, then photographing the games for NFL Photos.<\/p>\n<p>That decades-long career comes with its fair share of stories. Once, he was hit in a play at the opening kickoff and broke his camera and his glasses. During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021, photographers weren\u2019t allowed on the field, but Biever managed to get a stadium seat near the end zone and continue his streak of games.<\/p>\n<p>Over the years, the gear has changed too, evolving from film to digital. In 2003, Biever used digital for the first time at a Super Bowl \u2013 the <a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.digitalcameraworld.com\/tag\/canon-eos\" data-auto-tag-linker=\"true\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.digitalcameraworld.com\/tag\/canon-eos\" data-hl-processed=\"none\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.digitalcameraworld.com\/tag\/canon-eos\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Canon EOS<\/a> 1D with the EF 600mm f\/4L IS USM lens. \u201cI&#8217;m sure the editors were not exactly sure these little digital flash media cards would work,\u201d <a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/more-sports\/2007\/11\/07\/07-0john-bievers-favorite-shots#:~:text=We%20generally%20have%20a%20plan,m%20not%20one%20of%20them!\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/more-sports\/2007\/11\/07\/07-0john-bievers-favorite-shots#:~:text=We%20generally%20have%20a%20plan,m%20not%20one%20of%20them!\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-hl-processed=\"none\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\">he said<\/a>. Over the years, he\u2019s worked with both Canon and Nikon systems.<\/p>\n<p><a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/7020895\/2026\/02\/05\/nfl-super-bowl-photos-photographers-best\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/7020895\/2026\/02\/05\/nfl-super-bowl-photos-photographers-best\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-hl-processed=\"none\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\">Biever told the New York Times<\/a> that Super Bowl 60 will be his final one, with retirement in his future. The photographer will turn 75 just a few days after this year\u2019s Super Bowl, leaving behind an iconic sports photography legacy.<\/p>\n<p><a id=\"elk-you-may-also-like\"\/>You may also like<\/p>\n<p id=\"3997ab76-fd20-4aa5-a997-4653ffcc05ba\">Take a look at DCW&#8217;s top recommendations for <a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.digitalcameraworld.com\/buying-guides\/best-cameras-for-sports-photography\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.digitalcameraworld.com\/buying-guides\/best-cameras-for-sports-photography\" data-hl-processed=\"none\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.digitalcameraworld.com\/buying-guides\/best-cameras-for-sports-photography\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">the best sports cameras<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Super Bowl comes with a few givens \u2013 championship-level athleticism, the best commercials of the year \u2013&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":413563,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[6225,6485,6486,1120,96,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-413562","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-arts-and-design","tag-arts","tag-arts-and-design","tag-artsanddesign","tag-design","tag-entertainment","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/413562","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=413562"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/413562\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/413563"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=413562"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=413562"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=413562"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}