Rafael Nadal – Shot Of The Month – January 2022
‘Shot of the Month’ is brought to you by Sport Industry Awards partner Shutterstock. In this ongoing image-led series, we turn the spotlight on those behind the lens. Telling the story of the standout photos that grace newspapers, magazines and digital screens around the world from the photographer’s point of view.
Ella Ling, Shutterstock Sports Photographer
The key element to capturing a great sports photo is portraying the emotions in each camera click. The photos I take the most pride in are the ones that display the passion and excitement on the other side of the shot. It is important to me that viewers can take a single image and determine the whole atmosphere of the court and the story behind it.
Rafael Nadal is one of my favourite players to shoot; he always provides great action poses, power and most importantly, emotion across the court – the crowd also loves to react to him. With Nadal coming back from two sets down, this match wasn’t a typical final – which made it incredibly enthralling. This image captures the exuberant feeling of all his hard-work and, of course, his triumph. It represents Nadal becoming the most successful men’s player of all-time. Capturing such emotive moments is a true perk of the job – you can almost hear Rafa’s famous forehand follow through! Images like this will be remembered for a lifetime and I love that I was able to record and be a part of such a key moment in tennis history.
The main challenge with photographing the grand slam events, such as the Australian Open, is the competitive environment, which is not restricted to just the tennis players! Often at high-profile tournaments, photographers are restricted to certain areas, and therefore finding the best spot is crucial. I try to combat this by not always following the ball and try to capture a more unique shot of the moment, one that not everyone is taking. Whether that is the crowd’s reaction or the opponent waiting to receive the ball, I aim to provide the whole atmosphere to the viewer so that they can feel like they’re joining me courtside.
A unique perspective I can bring to the court is that I know the game. Having played tennis for my whole life, I’m aware of how the game works and what could happen next at each stage of play. Anticipating a player’s next move is the key to sports photography and is the only way to get ahead of it to get the best shots. Each moment goes by so quickly, you must be on the ball!
