July 18th, 2011 by Stinkhead
If you want a real culture head-rush, go to a Monster Truck rally one weekend and then a pro tennis match the next. Totally different crowds… Ah the life of a photographer. Click below to see more pictures I took from the court of a recent Washington Kastles game.
I don’t know a lot about tennis, but I had a great time at the Washington Kastle’s stadium on the Wharf in Washington DC. Being right on the waterfront gave us a cool breeze and it was pretty comfortable. Kicking off the evening, tennis legends Billy Jean King and Chris Evert gave a press conference to talk about the WTT (World Team Tennis) and their recent activities. Shortly after we filed to our seats. As press, I got to sit on the court, about ten feet away from the line, and right next to an umpire.
Even though I was sitting directly on the court, constantly lifting my feet to avoid the rolling tennis balls, there were people seated directly behind me. There’s a much more intimate feel than with other sporting events I’ve been to. The guys sitting directly behind me were calling out the players names and seemed friendly with other people on the court. As they noshed on their seared salmon and drank from champagne flutes (I wish I were joking, but this is true) it really did feel like you were watching friends play in your backyard.
Tonight’s game pitted the Kastles vs the St. Louis Aces. Above, Maria Sanchez held her own beautifully against “Hot Rod” Arina Rodionova. From a photographer’s point of view, I preferred shooting the singles matches because I knew who was going to go for the ball…
I had a lot of fun watching the exhibition game at halftime. Coach Murphy joined up with Chris Evert to play a mixed doubles match, while Rennae Stubbs provided commentary. It was great seeing Chris play, live, but Coach Murphy really got into it and was having a blast.
It was also cool seeing Leander Paes, who plays for the Kastles, in action. Currently Leander is only the second man (after Rod Laver) to win Wimbledon titles in three different decades. He’s one of the best men’s tennis players in the world right now, and he put on a great show.
There are still two more Kastles games left in the 2011 season. Tonight and Thursday, so swing by WashingtonKastles.com to pick up your tickets. Click below to see more photos from my shoot. And if you’re interested in sports photography, check out my photo blog entry on shooting this game.
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