Swimsuit

Eight Stunning Photos From Kate Upton’s ‘Zero Gravity’ Photo Shoot

Upton looked out of this world in her 2014 feature.

Cara O’Bleness

Behind the scenes of Kate Upton in Zero G: Swimsuit 2014

Kate Upton made her SI Swimsuit Issue debut in 2011 when she won Rookie of the Year and was featured in a shoot in both the Philippines and a New York-based bodypaint spread. The now 30-year-old model went on to grace the cover of the SI Swimsuit Issue in both ’12 (when she was photographed in Australia by Walter Iooss Jr.) and ’13 (when Derek Kettela took her pictures in Antarctica).

The following year, Upton defied gravity when she “floated in space” for a zero gravity photo shoot in Cape Canaveral with photographer James Macari.

In Zero G flights, the weightless phenomenon is typically experienced in intervals of 30 seconds, so the crew and Upton didn’t have much time to nail the perfect shot.

At one point, Macari can be heard saying, “I’m not doing real well but I think Kate is doing amazing!” The amount of skill and forethought that went into this shoot is incredible. 

Upton, who is now married to Mets pitcher Justin Verlander, returned for the SI Swimsuit Issue cover in 2017. The Michigan-born model’s last SI Swimsuit Issue feature was in ’18 when she was photographed by Yu Tsai in Aruba.

Now a mom, Upton and Verlander tied the knot in November 2017 and welcomed their daughter, Genevieve, a year later.

Below are our favorite eight photos from Upton’s gravity-defying photo shoot in 2014.

Kate Upton
Kate Upton
Kate Upton
Kate Upton
Kate Upton
Kate Upton
Kate Upton
Kate Upton
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Cara O’Bleness

CARA O’BLENESS

Cara is a trending news writer/editor for Sports Illustrated Swimsuit. A passionate writer and editor with more than 10 years of experience in print and online media, she loves storytelling and believes that words have the power to change the world. Prior to joining the team, Cara worked as a writer and editor across a number of content verticals, including food, lifestyle, health and wellness, and small business and entrepreneurship. In her free time, Cara loves reading, spending time with her family and making her way through Michigan’s many microbreweries. She is a graduate of Michigan State University's School of Journalism.