Summer Sports part one

Well three days of sun in a row has very quickly turned into a weather warning. It seems those unaccustomed to seeing a large glowing fireball in the sky needed to be reminded it makes you very hot :-)

I can't say I've completely enjoyed the mediterranean climate we've been recently having. A lot of restless nights and I'm convinced my pale Irish skin burns with the mention of the words "sun" and "heat". My summer experience of 2013 began with a lovely bit of sunburn on one side of my face that looked like an homage to wonderful Richard Dreyfuss in Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

The reason for the uneven tanning was a result of being sat in one position with a camera almost permanently to my face for the day. But this is far from a complaint, because I was shooting my first professional sporting event and loved every minute of it.

Every year, just a few weeks ahead of Wimbledon, the Aegon Classic women's tennis tournament takes place here in Birmingham at the Edgbaston Priory club. I spent the best part of a week photographing the action in the new Ann Jones Centre Court, opened by the seven time Grand Slam winner herself (below).



The opening ceremony included a performance by British opera singer Laura Wright and was followed by a mixed doubles match played by Heather Watson and Tim Henman against Sorana Cirstea and Greg Rusedski. The final was played on Father's Day and also included a disability exhibition match involving British number ones Lucy Shuker and Gordon Reid.

It was a terrific insight into the world of sports photography and I enjoyed it thoroughly. Although I had to work a lot harder than the effortless seasoned pros sat beside me, I was very happy with the results and even had some of my photographs published in a local newspaper E H News.

There's too many to share in one post so here's a few of my favourites and I'll follow up this post at some point.

 

Below is this year's singles winner Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia.

I can genuinely say the only disappointing part of the experience is that you don't really get to see much of the game when you're photographing it. You're looking in one direction, anticipating movement and try to be "aware" of everything else. The crowd definitely enjoyed it, even when the weather conspired against play.

And as for my initial weather gripe, I have to say I'm one of those people that never complains about rain. I just save it all for that fireball in the sky ;-)