Summer is the perfect time to shoot outdoor sports and capture action. Many people enjoy the warm weather, exercise and enjoy social time. Here are some suggestions for photographing tennis.
Tip #1 – Take Advantage of Different Light Conditions
In this post I’ve included pictures taken in very different lighting conditions – day, evening/twilight, and night. All offer great opportunities to shoot different styles of images.

Daytime images usually offer the brightest light and will make taking quick actions easier. Twilight images create opportunities for more unique silhouettes and images. And night shots often give you the opportunity to make a well-lit player stand out from a dark background. Explore all lighting conditions for variations in your images.
Tip #2 – Explore Different Shooting Angles
On the tennis court, the action takes place in a designated space. If you’re not careful, your pictures can start to look the same. Try exploring different shooting angles to create variety and interest.

Tip 3 – Ball Adds Interest
It’s not a universal rule, but in general, pictures that include balls are more interesting than those that don’t. Don’t take this as a golden rule, but observe your own image. It makes your timing important to be able to catch the ball in your shot when it’s close to a player.

Tip #4 – Use a Fast Shutter Speed
Capturing the split-second action when the ball is close to a player requires good timing and equipment. It’s something that definitely gets better with practice. Use a fast shutter speed to help you freeze the action. How fast? The image above benefits from being shot into a bright sun where a shutter speed of 1/8000s allows.
Tip #5 – Close Ups Can Be Very Interesting
Try taking a very close-up shot of a tennis player. I don’t mean to stand very close (!) but use a zoom lens to create an image that captures the player’s facial expressions. Very close up images can be very interesting.

Thanks for reading these tennis photography tips. Happy shooting!