Game, set and match! Ace your tennis shots with this winning camera trick

Watch video: Game, set and match!

As Wimbledon fortnight gets underway, it is the perfect time for us to squeeze in one more fun sports project, where we’re going to use the centrifugal force of a spinning wet tennis ball to create mesmerizing water splashes. The result almost makes the tennis ball look like the centre of a galaxy as the water drops spiral outwards from the middle in spectacular fashion.

It might look like quite a difficult shot to take, and it isn’t without its challenges, though we’ve broken it down for you in our step-by-step below to help you bolster your chances. The two most important factors are having a helper with you to throw and spin the balls through the air, you’ll really struggle if you’re on your own so ask friends and family, your children or even grandkids to get involved with the fun. Secondly, you’ll need a fast telephoto lens.

Canon Tennis Ball Photography — Canon EOS R5 with RF 70-200mm f/8; 1/8000sec at f/4, ISO1000 (Image credit: Future)

Usually when we call a lens ‘fast’ we’re referring to its wide maximum aperture, so a lens with an aperture like f/2.8 or f/1.8 would be considered a ‘fast’ lens. While this is beneficial to our photos here (more light allows for faster shutter speeds with lower ISOs) it’s actually the autofocus motor that we need to be speedy and responsive. If your lens takes an age to rack the focus back and forth you’re really going to struggle locking on to a rapidly moving target like a tennis ball hurtling through the air.

If you’re concerned about any of the water ending up on your pride and joy be sure to use a rain cover, a UV filter on the front of the lens will also keep it protected.

For best results you’ll want to shoot on a clear sunny day, for extra sparkle and direct sun will grant faster shutter speeds.

1. Zoom lens

A man holding a Canon EOS R5 with an EF 70-200mm f/2.8 lens attached — Shooting with a short telephoto lens such as a 70-200mm will help you zoom in on the action and also shoot from a safe distance where you lens should be safe from water splashes (Image credit: Future)

A telephoto lens with a focal length is vital to zoom in and achieve a frame-filling shot of the ball. A wide aperture will help but it’s more important to use a lens with a very responsive AF motor. We used a Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM II lens.

2. Fast camera settings

The back of a Canon EOS R5 showing settings of 1/3200 sec shutter speed, aperture f/2.8 and ISO of 1000 — Open the aperture and boost the ISO so you have a shutter speed of at least 1/2000 sec and this will help you freeze the water drops mid-air (Image credit: Future)

Go into Av mode and set the widest aperture on your lens, such as f/2.8. Have a friend hold the ball roughly where you plan to shoot it, then boost the ISO until you have a shutter speed of at least 1/2000 sec. Also enable your Continuous High Drive mode.

3. Customize the Autofocus

The back of a Canon EOS R5 showing the autofocus case set to Mode 4 for subjects that accelerate quickly — Most enthusiast and pro Canon DSLR and mirrorless cameras have different AF Cases which change how sensitive the AF is for different subjects. Here we used AF Case 4 (Image credit: Future)

Set the AF to AI Servo so it will continually track your subject, then expand the AF Selection Area to 9-points to give yourself a bigger target. Change the AF Case to Mode 4 which works best for subjects suddenly entering the frame, too.

4. New balls please!

A close up of some wet tennis balls being dunked in a bucket of water — Make sure you've got a helper for this technique that can launch the balls up in the air for you while you fire away (Image credit: Future)

Get a large bucket and fill it with water. Dunk your tennis balls and make sure they are saturated. We recommend having at least three balls you can shoot back-to-back, then check your images and get back in position for the next batch. Wait for the sun to come out before you go again.

5. Watch the background

A wet tennis ball is spun against a bright blue sky which has lost definition in the water droplets — A colorful blue background seems like a good idea but it's so bright that the water drops become a bit lost. It's best to aim towards darker backgrounds so they stand out (Image credit: Future)

You want your tennis ball to stand out from a clean, dark background for better compositions and to make it easier for your camera to lock focus on the ball as it hurtles through the air. A blue sky sounds like a good idea but it’s quite bright and the water drops become a little less defined.

6. Go for gold

A man laying on his back to get a low angle with his camera and 70-200mm lens — A low angle might give you the best perspective. Put a bin liner down on the ground and lay on this so you don't get your clothes dirty (Image credit: Future)

Shoot from a low angle so you can shoot the underneath of the ball against a clean background and get the water glistening in bright sunshine. Use your Continuous High Drive Mode with mechanical or electronic shutters to help you get a better hit-rate and ace shots that nobody can challenge!

Check out our guide to the best cameras for sports photography

TOPICS

In addition to being a freelance photographer and filmmaker, Dan is a bona fide expert on all things Canon and Adobe. Not only is he an Adobe-certified Photoshop guru, he's spent over 10 years writing for specialist magazines including stints as the Deputy Editor for PhotoPlus: The Canon Magazine, Technical Editor for Practical Photography and Photoshop Editor on Digital Photo.

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.