Brisbane Tennis International 2026

Chasing the "Ball on Strings": My Debut at the Brisbane International

It’s not every day you get to shoot your first professional tennis match with less than 24 hours of prep time. But when the One Shot community connected me with Aussie talent Lizette Cabrera, I knew I had to make it happen.

Walking into the Queensland Tennis Centre for the first time, I had to be strategic. My accreditation limited me to a 200mm focal length.

Usually, sports photographers crave the big 400mm primes, but the show court layout worked in my favor. The 200mm forced me to look for wider context and emotion rather than just tight headshots.

My biggest takeaway? Timing is everything. Expectation: See the ball hit the racket -> Press button.

Reality: If you see it, you missed it.

I had to draw on my own experience playing socially to anticipate the body language. You have to fire the shutter as the racquet begins its forward motion. Once I cracked that code, the "ball on strings" shots finally started landing. The Aftermath The adrenaline of that first session was addictive.

I returned two more times as a paying spectator just to keep practicing. The highlight was undoubtedly capturing the power of World #1 Aryna Sabalenka. If you’ve never shot tennis, put it on your bucket list. It’s a masterclass in timing.