Tennis photography tips?

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dancook

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I photographed school tennis yesterday and was not overjoyed with the images, the athletics and cricket I shot later in the day were much better.

Spent about 30 minute with each, boys/girls, mostly doubles - there were 6 girls games, and 15+ boys games going on all in close vicinity of each other.

Mostly I wasn't keen on the wire fence backgrounds and limp action I was capturing, there just wasn't much in the way of aggressive action or tennis rallies - lots of serving faults.

Is there an ideal for positioning/tips? perhaps i can focus my energy and make the most of the limited time i have
 
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dancook said:
I photographed school tennis yesterday and was not overjoyed with the images, the athletics and cricket I shot later in the day were much better.

Spent about 30 minute with each, boys/girls, mostly doubles - there were 6 girls games, and 15+ boys games going on all in close vicinity of each other.

Mostly I wasn't keen on the wire fence backgrounds and limp action I was capturing, there just wasn't much in the way of aggressive action or tennis rallies - lots of serving faults.

Is there an ideal for positioning/tips? perhaps i can focus my energy and make the most of the limited time i have
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Sport photography can be like that - you can’t photograph what didn’t happen ;)

That said, when I’ve shot tennis with players that weren’t too great - I concentrate on getting great serving shots -as it doesn’t matter if it goes over the net :)
I find sometimes photographing the ready position looks good too.
As for lackluster action - nothing you can do about that. It’s school level sport - sometimes that’s how it goes.

The wire fence background - most people either won’t notice or will be expecting to see it. You can try and shoot more side on to give a background that’s less distracting - it works well with serving - as players turn their bodies and open up on the launch of the ball.
Photographing the doubles partner at the net, in the ready position looks good too.

At the end of the day, if the players aren’t enthusiastic about the sport - there’s nothing you can do.
 
toohuge said:
What lens were you using ?
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100-400, I should have chosen the 70-200 i think - shot less tight sometimes possibly blurred out fencing better.

I was shooting cricket and athletics that day too, which is why I had the 100-400 on.

Spent more time on fewer games, next to the net perhaps.
 
dancook said:
100-400, I should have chosen the 70-200 i think - shot less tight sometimes possibly blurred out fencing better.

I was shooting cricket and athletics that day too, which is why I had the 100-400 on.

Spent more time on fewer games, next to the net perhaps.
Click to expand...
The 1-400 isn’t fast enough to lose the background imo - I don’t want to tell you how to suck eggs :)

I agree cricket and athletics need long glass. First time I shoot athletics I was surprised at how ‘big’ the track was hahah.
Yep - stick by the net and with a 70-200 I think you’ll be good. Plus you’ve got the opportunity to shoot the receiver with the ball in frame - if the serve gets that far!
If not - try lying on the floor closer to the server and get a really tight frame of the server etc.
 
toohuge said:
The 1-400 isn’t fast enough to lose the background imo - I don’t want to tell you how to suck eggs :)

I agree cricket and athletics need long glass. First time I shoot athletics I was surprised at how ‘big’ the track was hahah.
Yep - stick by the net and with a 70-200 I think you’ll be good. Plus you’ve got the opportunity to shoot the receiver with the ball in frame - if the serve gets that far!
If not - try lying on the floor closer to the server and get a really tight frame of the server etc.
Click to expand...

Cheers, look forward to next time :)
 
I would have thought a 70-200 f2.8 would be the tool for the job Dan :) and as said close to the net gives you an "Advantage" No pun intended :)

Les
 
Lez325 said:
I would have thought a 70-200 f2.8 would be the tool for the job Dan :) and as said close to the net gives you an "Advantage" No pun intended :)

Les
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Yup will go to that first next time, if I wasn’t running around all day shooting a variety of sport maybe I would gone to the 70-200 in the first instance..

I had in my bag, I tried the 135mm momentarily :) it’s just a faff to change lenses when time is against you
 
dancook said:
Yup will go to that first next time, if I wasn’t running around all day shooting a variety of sport maybe I would gone to the 70-200 in the first instance..

I had in my bag, I tried the 135mm momentarily :) it’s just a faff to change lenses when time is against you
Click to expand...


I think 2 bodies and 2 lenses in that case Dan :)
 
They used a wider angle shot for tennis in their social media, don't have any control over this part.

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