Featured Image: NEW YORK, NY – Novak Djokovic of Serbia plays a forehand during his men’s singles fourth round match against Marcel Granollers of Spain on Day Nine of the 2013 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 3, 2013 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
Tennis photography is all about freezing those epic moments of power and finesse that make the sport so thrilling to watch. Whether it’s a blistering forehand or a victorious celebration, there’s an art to capturing it all in a single click. I started shooting back in college by photographing my friends while playing sports — I knew then that photography was what I wanted to do. Today, I photograph many different sports for Getty Images. In the 35 years I have been a sports photographer, shooting tennis has been my go-to sport for using light, shadows, and lines in my photos. In this article, we’ll dive into the exciting world of shooting tennis photography, sharing tips, tricks, and gear recommendations to help you snap those unforgettable shots.
Where to Stand
There are several places you can go when you are photographing a tennis match. The first position — and most popular — is on either side of the court. Positions are usually placed for the photographers here. You must respect the game and the players by not moving during play. You can only move to another position on or off the court during a changeover of play.
The other position you can go is overhead. Depending on the court, there are several overhead positions. In some venues, like the U.S. Open or the French Open, you can shoot directly behind the service line in an underground position with a window to shoot through.
What Angles Work Best
If you are on the court, you can shoot from many different angles. The position I go to mostly is at the service line. You can see the player in front of you and the player on the opposite end of the net. I usually sit here at the start of a match so I can get good material of both players.
After I get forehand, backhand, and serve photos, I tend to move to another position. Each player has a different way of serving, volleying, and stretching for the ball. Depending on how a person plays the game determines how I approach photographing them. Tennis is a sport where you must study each player and their little nuances in how they play the game.
Sometimes I will position myself at the baseline where a player serves the ball. It is a way for me to get tight action or shoot wide to get the whole stadium to give the viewer a sense of place. I will also sit at the baseline to get a player returning serves with big stretches or dives.
If I find myself upstairs overhead, I stay aware of where the shadows lie on the court and how I can work the tennis lines into my photographs. Late day light is always ideal when you are upstairs. The shadows come across the court, and you can really play with the light when the sun is out. If you find yourself behind the players, tucked into a position shooting through an open window, you can get a unique angle of the player serving, returning, and stretching for the ball.
What Lenses (and Other Gear) to Use
I use a Canon RF 600mm f/4 L IS USM Lens or Canon RF 400mm f/2.8 L IS USM Lens when I am shooting long. Sometimes I also need to use a Canon Extender RF 1.4x. I also carry with me a Canon RF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS USM Lens and a Canon RF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM Lens. My camera bodies are the Canon EOS R3 Mirrorless Camera and Canon EOS R5 Mirrorless Digital Camera.
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Best Camera Settings
The settings I use for tennis photography change with what I’m trying to accomplish. When I’m first photographing a match, I generally want to freeze the action and the ball. I try not to shoot less than 1/2000 sec at the lowest F-stop possible — usually f/2.8. I also use the lowest ISO that I can get away with. Sometimes when I am trying to shoot a pan blur of players, I will slow the shutter speed down to 1/15th of a second. Then, I need to adjust my aperture and ISO accordingly.
If I’m exposing only for the highlights, then I’ll adjust my settings to really darken the background and focus on the light hitting the player. If I’m shooting back lit, then I need to expose the player properly and open my aperture. The highlights around the player will make them glow, especially if they have a lot of hair flying around. Sometimes I like to shoot silhouettes of players stretching, serving, or reaching for the ball. In that case, I will expose for the highlights behind the player.
Sending Tennis Photography Images
When you are working for a client, the most important thing is satisfying the client. My main job — first and foremost — is to get what the client needs. Once I achieve that, I try to shoot photos that I like to do (and hopefully the client likes as well). I’m always shooting on a deadline, and I am sending my photos via WiFi with Internet plugged into my camera. I send the photos directly from my camera. At the bigger events, we have Ethernet lines on court to plug into and send our photos to our edit. If I’m not working with an editor, I’ll transmit from my computer in the press room or on court.
Tips for Tennis Photography
Know the Lighting
The first thing I think about when shooting tennis photography is where the light is coming from. If it is an outdoor event, and during the day, you must constantly be aware of where the light is. If the sun is out, then you need to think about how you want your photos to look. Many players wear hats and, at certain times of the day and if you are shooting front lit, then the hat will cast a huge shadow over their face.
Most of the time, when I am shooting tennis in the sun, I’ll shoot towards the backlit side of the player. This way, the light is falling behind them. I can then open my aperture to expose their face properly without sacrificing the rest of their body.
If it’s a late-day game and the sun is very low, then you can enjoy shooting front lit. If you’re overhead, then you can use the sun to your advantage depending on the time of day. You just need to watch the court and see how the shadows fall on a sunny day to figure out how you want to shoot the match.
Catch the Stretch
When you are shooting upstairs, one of the main goals is to get shots of the players stretching to hit the ball. Many of the best stretches come off a serve. The player receiving the serve is unsure where the ball will go and many times must stretch or jump towards the ball.
Find Creative Shadows
When there are long shadows on the court, or if a player is diving into a dark part of the court and you are exposing for the highlights, the pictures can be quite dramatic. If there is no sun, or it is an indoor tournament, then exposing correctly for your subject is easier. It is harder to get creative in an indoor setting or at night. It is not impossible, but just more difficult.
Have a Clean Background
I am also very aware of the background I am shooting into. It is very important for me to get as clean of a background as possible. I also am very meticulous with how I want to compose my photo. There are many distractions behind the player you’re photographing. I try to keep out any ball, boys, judges, signage, empty seats and clocks or scoreboards. It is very difficult to achieve, but not impossible.
Learn How a Player Celebrates
As I said before, I always watch how a player plays the game as I photograph them. You learn what their tendencies are. When a big point is happening, you can then focus on the player and get a good celebration photo. You can also locate the player’s coaches and family, who usually sit on either end of the court. The player will usually turn around and face them to celebrate.
Utilize the Game’s Repetition
Tennis is one of those rare sports that allows for repetition in a player’s actions. They hit the ball with forehands, backhands, and they serve and volley repeatedly. If there is a photo you are working on, this is a great sport to keep practicing until you get it. More times than not, you can achieve what you are hoping for, thanks to the repetition of the players.
Conclusion
Tennis photography requires you tonwork very long hours for days on end. During a grand slam event, tennis matches go on for two weeks — day and night. It is very physically and mentally taxing. You need to be in the right frame of mind going into a tennis tournament. You need to understand how hard you are going to work. You will be in the sun in hot weather, so you need to hydrate and take care of yourself during that time. After all these years of shooting tennis, I still am always looking for a different angle, a different photograph, a different way of seeing things. It’s one of the great joys in my career.
