The photographer, who graduated from Pasadena High School in 1965 and went on to capture some of the most iconic images in American sports history, died January 11 at his Manhattan Beach home. He was 78. He reportedly passed away from natural causes.
Over a nearly 60-year career, Read Miller’s images appeared on more than 100 Sports Illustrated covers — a distinction that placed him among the most prolific visual storytellers in the magazine’s history.
He covered nine Olympic Games, 41 Super Bowls, and 14 NBA Finals, along with the Stanley Cup Finals, World Series, Kentucky Derby, and World Cup soccer finals.
“He was that good,” fellow photographer Robert Beck wrote in an online tribute. “He was one of the best of the best for over 35 years.”
Born in Chicago to Lew Miller and Donna Culliton Miller, Read Miller attended Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire before the family moved to California.
After graduating from Pasadena High School, he enrolled at the University of Southern California at age 16 and immediately sought work shooting sports for the yearbook.
“I went to the El Rodeo office and said, ‘Can I shoot for you? I like sports stuff,'” Read Miller recalled in a USC interview. “They finally got me press credentials and my first assignment was for the 1964 USC-UCLA game at the Coliseum.”
That assignment launched a trajectory that would take him from campus photographer to Sports Illustrated, which he joined in 1977 after graduating from USC in 1969 with a degree in economics. For more than 35 years, he worked as a staff and contract photographer for the magazine, earning a reputation for both action shots and portraits.
“Peter was that rare breed of photographer who was able to excel at shooting action and portraits including lighting and set building,” said Steve Fine, former director of photography at Sports Illustrated. “He shot football almost exclusively vertically, because in his words, ‘What’s the point of getting out of bed in the morning unless you’re shooting for the cover?'”
Read Miller’s influence extended beyond the sidelines. He taught sports photography workshops for more than 15 years across the country, spoke at industry events including Photoshop World and Imaging USA, and published “On Sports Photography” in 2013.
He was a Canon spokesperson and member of the company’s Explorers of Light program for more than 25 years.
Canon USA called him a “Canon legend” and said in a statement: “We mourn his loss with his family and the global photographic community, and honor a legacy that will endure.”
His awards included the 2006 Dave Boss Award for Excellence, Photographer of the Year, from the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the 2012 Society of Professional Journalists Award for Sports Photography.
Outside photography, Read Miller served on the board of the LA Harbor International Film Festival since its founding in 2003. His photos of the Vincent Thomas Bridge in San Pedro became signature images of that landmark. He loved rock and roll — he was a band roadie for CrabbyAppleton in the 1970s — and caught Broadway musicals at the Pantages.
Read Miller was a descendant of George Read, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence.
A celebration of life is planned for a date to be determined.
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