Bred Hampton

Kalvin Banton, known professionally as Bred Hampton, is an American filmmaker and photographer who specializes in lifestyle images in and around the Boston area. Hampton, a self-taught artist, is known for capturing hip hop musicians and athletes, including Boston Celtics player Jayson Tatum.

Early life and amateur beginnings The son of Jamaican immigrants, Hampton was born and raised in the Dorchester neighborhood in Boston, Massachusetts. He described himself as a "difficult" teenager who was a class clown in high school. Hampton developed a fascination for photography during his youth, citing a memorable image of NBA player Allen Iverson with an afro on the cover of SLAM magazine (March 1999) as a significant influence.

With no intentions of being a professional photographer, Hampton bought his first camera, a Canon T6i, in 2017 while working as a security guard. At the conclusion of the final game of the season, Hampton captured on video a heartfelt interaction between Tatum and his mother, Brandy Cole, exclaiming, "What are they gonna say now?" This year, he also appeared alongside Tatum in a Nike commercial for the Tatum 2 sneaker.

Style and aesthetic Hampton has noted that he regularly explores different motifs and angles to capture basketball moments, in particular, in order to grow as a photographer and to avoid cliches when possible.

Personal The "Bred Hampton" pseudonym partly is an homage to Hampton's favorite sneaker, the Jordan Bred 4s, and to Black Panther Party leader Fred Hampton.

Hampton identifies as a lifelong fan of the Boston Celtics and much of his work is focused on the city of Boston. In 2024, Boston Mayor Michele Wu declared October 19 as Bred Hampton Day.