For years I have had the pleasure of working at the US Open – running a photographer loan and repair service for Nikon and then Sony. It was fun and enjoyable but it never gave me much time to actually shoot the event. This year I was able to attend to actually shoot and not be distracted by other “work”

Since I have not been a “tennis fan”, I have never had a real “feel” for the game. Needless to say, I also have never shot tennis professionally. This week gave me the opportunity to develop some new skills.

I got a day of shooting and it gave me a chance to see how difficult this really is. Tennis – fast moving people – fast moving tennis balls and I found out the hard way that it is really all about the ball – or lack of. Regardless of the expression – no ball – no good)

There is a place and need for “expressions” and “jubilation” shots but if you want action shots then it “needs” the ball.

I had a photo editor in my youth that would not accept a sports photo if the ball was not in it. I have never forgotten his training. It’s always there in the back of my mind.

 

 

As in any sport – knowing the game certainly helps and even then – you have to “sense” the timing. I shot a while and downloaded the images to see how I was doing. The first few sets produced a lot of photos without the ball. Back out on the court and taking a little time to just watch what was going on helped a lot.

After a while you get that “anticipation factor” tuned in and you start to get the images that really show the intensity of the game.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It takes practice and more practice and then even more practice. After a while your shooting finger gets coordinated with the shutter button and the payoff is worth the effort.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then the guys came on and you find that the timing you just worked on – now has to be fine tuned again. The ball is moving faster and you have to anticipate even more.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I did notice that several of the younger shooters were simply putting the hammer down. Holding the shutter button and hoping that 10–30 FPS would capture the right moment.

Sorry – you occasionally get a lucky shot but it’s amazing how far that little ball moves between frames. The real shooters “time” the shooting and take very few frames to get the one they want. Theie photo editors appreciate that also.

It was a great experience and certainly gave me a chance to really appreciate the guys/gals that do this for a living. (You guys/gals know who you are – thanks for the helpful tips to this newcomer)

Be sure to see part 2 about when it’s OK to not have the ball in the photo.