Theo Westenberger 1950--2008

THE FIRST photograph Theo Westenberger shot for SI was a 1986 portrait of Teresa Weatherspoon, Stacey Davis and the rest of Louisiana Tech's powerhouse basketball starting five decked out in antebellum finery. It's striking how comfortable the women look in all that crinoline and lace, but then Westenberger, who died last Thursday at age 57 after battling cancer, made a career out of helping her subjects loosen up. In all, Westenberger's photos graced seven SI covers—including shots of George Foreman, Bill Laimbeer and the 1992 Olympic Dream Team—and dozens more ran inside the magazine. She was also a sought-after travel and celebrity photographer, working for Newsweek, Life and National Geographic Traveler.

PHOTO

COURTESY THEO WESTENBERGER INC. (PORTRAIT)

TWO PHOTOS

THEO WESTENBERGER/SYGMA (COVERS)