Sharapova is one of the 'name' players at the tournament, recognizable from the many endorsement contracts she garnered with her Wimbelton win and former number one status on the Women's Tour.
She walks into the room in a storm of electronic flashes, and you just aren't prepared for what a physical presence she has. Supermodel proportions - her bio says she is 6'2" but she's taller than the security people (who are pretty big guys) so I'm thinking that might be understated - she walks with an easy grace, long arms and legs exuding an athletic power.
Tournament Director Karl Hale (L) says a few words, "We’re thrilled to have Maria join us at such a magnificent place, the CN Tower, and tennis fans will be thrilled with one of the best player fields in recent memory", and then we can all get back to the busines at hand - which is photographing Maria obsessively from every angle :)
The lighting in this room is a bit of a colour balance nightmare. There is coolish daylight (blue)coming through windows to her left, a weak 3600K flood from the front that is too under-powered and too garish to be the key light (red), and electronic flash on-camera at daylight temp (neutral).
I'm positioned so the window light will wash away shadows on the background, and I'm hoping it will act as a hair light on her left side as well. The on-camera flash (in bounce position with a Stofen difussor) relieves the shadows and prevents a 'short lighting' situation - which I don't want as her complexion isn't going to take to that kind of lighting treatment well - and I'm hoping the 3600K spot isn't much of a factor beyond warming things up a bit.
All the rest of the media are shooting from the other side of the room using the window lights as a broad diffuse source. I don't like that flat shadowless look preferring something a little more dimensional.
But staying on this side of the room means she will be paying less attention to my camera as on this side there is only myself and a Russian photographer with a funky Euro-lens - Bessa/Voitlander/Zenitar, who-knows-what - on a Rebel Xi camera (I never did quite understand what make or focal length that lens was as his accent was impenetrable but it was a cool looking optic)
But staying on this side of the room means she will be paying less attention to my camera as on this side there is only myself and a Russian photographer with a funky Euro-lens - Bessa/Voitlander/Zenitar, who-knows-what - on a Rebel Xi camera (I never did quite understand what make or focal length that lens was as his accent was impenetrable but it was a cool looking optic)
Sure enough, things go to form. She really only looked directly into my camera a couple times, but I like shooting people in semi-profile so it didn't bother me and I stuck with it.
The Olympus FL50R flash did a really good job, which isn't something I can always say. If there is one area where Olympus lags the big two, it is flash performance. I find the FL50R can be hit and miss sometimes as oppossed to Nikon (bullet-proof) or Canon (dead on consistent)
After the draw they throw the floor open to Questions. A Russian journalist behind me mentions to Maria that there are over 200,000 Russian-speaking people living in Toronto and that, on their behalf, he wanted her to know that they would all be cheering for her and all the other Russian women at the tournament.
She thanked him for his comment and said that wherever she goes on tour, in whichever city, when she hears her named called out by it's Russian pronunciation she knows her countrymen are with her.
After the draw they throw the floor open to Questions. A Russian journalist behind me mentions to Maria that there are over 200,000 Russian-speaking people living in Toronto and that, on their behalf, he wanted her to know that they would all be cheering for her and all the other Russian women at the tournament.
She thanked him for his comment and said that wherever she goes on tour, in whichever city, when she hears her named called out by it's Russian pronunciation she knows her countrymen are with her.
They must have been calling her name Monday night. After months sidelined with injuries, having fallen to 60th in the world rankings, Maria Sharapova during her first match back thrashed number 10 seed compatriat Nadia Petrova 6-3, 6-4.
Photos taken with the Olympus E30 with Digital Zuiko 50-200mm 2.8 lens and Olympus FL50R wireless flash
All Photos copyright Torontowide.com. All Rights Reserved.
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