The color explosion style photo of Michael Or done by Barbara Wyatt
I don’t consider myself a Sports Artist.
I am merely a witness to tennis players releasing raw grit to hit a yellow ball—perfectly.
When I look through the viewfinder of my camera, I am no longer an observer as the match unfolds. I feel the player’s heartbeat synchronize with the rhythm of the game. Adrenaline rushes through their veins, and mine. I sense the tension in their muscles when they execute a shot. I share their joy in a powerful return. My heart sinks as their shoulders slump and eyes roll when a ball fails to go over the net.
Like players on court, I seek the right moment for the winning shot—when to click the shutter. I zoom in on the sweat on a player’s brow, the narrowing of eyes and the intensity of grip on the racket. And then it happens—that perfect shot materializes. A player lunges with grace, their muscles taut and eyes fixed on victory. The ball dances on the racquet strings.
CLICK!
Sometimes, the photograph isn’t right—the timing slightly off, the composition not as compelling as I hoped, just like unforced errors on a tennis court. Yet, if I do it correctly, that mere snapshot can reveal a player’s soul of tennis—their beauty, athletic prowess, and unwatering concentration on a little yellow ball.
Barbara Wyatt
Writer, Photographer, USTA Official and App Developer
Barbara Wyatt is a Writer, Photographer, USTA Official, and Mobile App Developer of iKnowTennis!, the tennis rules app. Her poem, Ode to Tennis, an amusing poem on the joys and frustrations when learning tennis, is available at Amazon. She can be reached by e-mail at BarbaraW@iKnowTennis.com
