The Focus
Rather than staging anything, the approach was to capture:
- Kids experiencing tennis for the first time
- Interaction between coaches and participants
- Parents reacting and engaging from the sidelines
- The presence of Ernests Gulbis within the environment
The challenge was to stay invisible enough so moments stayed real, but active enough to not miss anything important.
The Shoot
The event was fast-paced and constantly changing. Kids moving, coaches explaining, parents watching — everything happening at once.
To keep up with that, I worked fully mobile:
- Sony FX30 as the main camera
- Sigma 17–50mm f/1.8 and 10–18mm f/2.8 for flexibility
- DJI RSC2 gimbal to stay fluid and responsive
- Atomos Ninja monitor for better exposure control in harsh light
The goal was to stay ready for moments rather than control them.
The final video captures what the event actually felt like:
- Active
- Bright
- A bit chaotic in a good way
- Full of small, genuine moments
It’s not over-structured or overly polished — and that’s exactly what makes it work for social media.
Projects like this are less about directing and more about reacting.
You don’t create the moment — you recognize it and capture it at the right time.
That was the core of this shoot.
in case you wanted to check out the final video go to this link.
Visual Direction
Rimi wanted the final video to feel:
- Playful
- Light
- Clean
That sounds simple, but the conditions made it tricky.The shoot took place in very strong daylight, with a mix of:
- Bright blue sky tones
- Green tennis courts reflecting light onto faces
This created a noticeable green color cast on skin tones, which needed careful correction in post.
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