{"id":22635,"date":"2026-06-13T16:09:06","date_gmt":"2026-06-13T14:09:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/beautyoftennis.com\/?p=22635"},"modified":"2026-06-13T18:33:30","modified_gmt":"2026-06-13T16:33:30","slug":"old-new-pic-0784","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"beautyoftennis.com\/?p=22635","title":{"rendered":"o:ld > n:ew pic #0784"},"content":{"rendered":"

Paula Badosa |<\/h3>\"\"<\/a><\/div>
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Paula Badosa | Somewhere under way I started this attempt with blurring and adding layers in order to increase energy and intimacy of the pics. So I have to apply that to the images published prior to that…\u00a0<\/small><\/p>\n

Today I started my second run-through. The first selection of 322 images made me wish that I’d had taken more photos depicting the whole scenery. But in these years of shooting my ambition mainly was to come close to the players in order to show the intensity of focus, motion, reaction and emotion. So the following photos will show more of those close-ups. My idea is to give tags to each photo and make these categories available on separate pages and via the respective search term. I start with it today and hope to come up with the re-tagging for the initial 322 pics soon. You’ll find them at the bottom of each post.<\/small><\/p>\n

…So, now I am finished with all the old photos. As you might have realized I skipped many many pics. I left them in the database in order for everybody to be able to find ‘their’ images via the search function. Some of them I will take on later by re-thinking things like frame and other things. Also I probably will be much more radical with the manipulation. I have nothing to lose and for me the arts aspect has clear priority nowadays. But first I will re-think and if necessary re-do all the twothousandsomething previous pics…<\/em><\/small><\/small><\/p>\n

…it’s more about photography and allegory here than about individual players. Given that I only have attentive and smart visitors everybody will know that by now. Yet still one cannot explain enough…<\/em><\/small><\/small><\/p>\n

First published on: May 26, 2025 at 20:29<\/b><\/span> as ‘n:ew pic #1615’<\/small><\/p>\n

It happens to be that photos tagged with ITF partially are from German Bundesliga, which is another even smaller category. For me it’s ok here to distinguish between the bigger WTA and the inferior ITF stage, whether it’s all correct or not.<\/em><\/small><\/small><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>

\t\t\t

ChatGPT<\/p>\n

—–
\nI found out that one can upload pictures to ChatGPT and ask it to describe them. Obviously one can influence the way of that by the prompt. I chose to keep it quite open just asking it to decribe it ‘lyrically, like a poem, in English and in German’. Some of the words come stunningly near to what my intentions are with this project. Other parts are just so so. Hope it’s as much fun to read for everyone as it is for me. I decided not to change one single syllable of what the AI is coming up with here. Given the restrictions for non-paying users I only can do three images at a time and then have to wait for some ten hours before I can upload the next. At the moment it doesn’t make sense to me to upgrade to the required 20-bucks-per-month Plus-Version. For now I chose to be patient and do what I can with the restrictions.
\n<\/small><\/small><\/p>\n

At the end of the post you find a better readable bigger version of the texts…<\/b>
\n—–<\/small><\/small><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>

\"\"<\/div>

In Praise Of Shadows<\/h3>\t\t\t
Heute erhielt ich die Absage f\u00fcr meinen Antrag auf Akkreditierung beim WTA-Turnier in Bad Homburg. Es ist nat\u00fcrlich immer ungut, abgelehnt zu werden. Aber ich verstehe es auch aus verschiedenen Gr\u00fcnden. Es geht im Grunde um ein Zielgruppenproblem. Die Tennisleute verstehen nicht meinen k\u00fcnstlerisch-fotografischen Ansatz. Die Fotoliebhaber erkennen nicht die Faszination des \u201aGlasperlenspiels\u2018 Tennis. Die Macher lesen meine kritischen Zeilen und denken, das ist ein Querulant. Die, die wie ich den Ausw\u00fcchsen des Kapitalismus sehr kritisch gegen\u00fcberstehen, fragen sich, warum ich mir solch eine dekadente Reichenveranstaltung ausgesucht habe. Ich bin, wie man auch auf meinem Foto im Akkreditierungsantrag Bad Homburg sehen kann, ein korpulenter Mann in den Sechzigern, noch dazu mit langem Haar und Ziegenbart und im Gesicht durch eine Diabeteserkrankung nicht sehr, aber doch deutlich gezeichnet. Im Grunde denkt jeder: Was ist das f\u00fcr einer? Was will der mit seinen Fotos? Ich k\u00f6nnte jetzt meinen philosophischen Ansatz anf\u00fchren, der kurz gesagt behauptet, dass es im Leben um nichts mehr geht als um \u201aabandon\u2018, um Hingabe also, an welche T\u00e4tigkeit, ist dabei komplett egal. Es kann ein Sport sein oder ein Basteln oder Werken, ein Sammeln, ein Gestalten. Der, der f\u00fcr sich seinen Bereich gefunden hat, in dem er voll und ganz aufgehen kann, hat seinen Lebenssinn gefunden. Ich bin jemand, dem gewinnen vollkommen egal ist. Der Ehrgeiz zu gewinnen ist der fundamentale Brennstoff eines jeden Tennisspielers. Und bei vielen nat\u00fcrlich der Wunsch, reich zu werden. Das alles geht komplett an mir vorbei. Aber die Energie auf dem Platz, das intensive Fokussieren auf das jeweilige Ph\u00e4nomen, der Kampf gegen Emotionen und Entmutigungen, all das macht Tennis f\u00fcr mich lebendig und faszinierend. Warum aber jetzt dieser dunkle verwischte \u00e4sthetische Ansatz? Ich kann zu meiner Verteidigung das kleine Buch \u201aLob des Schattens\u2018 (engl. \u201aIn Praise Of Shadows\u2018) von Tanizaki Jun’ichir\u014d anf\u00fchren, das die japanische traditionelle Herangehensweise an Licht und Schatten thematisiert. In der westlichen Welt ist alles grell beleuchtet, kein R\u00e4tsel, kein Traum, keine\u2026 …Seele. Graf D\u00fcrkheim spricht von \u201aWelt-Ich\u2018 und \u201aWesen\u2018, Gottfried Benn unterscheidet zwischen Dichtung und Bierbestellung. Es ist nichts dabei, zwanzigtausend Euro f\u00fcr exzellentes Equipment auszugeben und dann die Technik die Arbeit machen zu lassen. Wir alle haben dies in uns, dieses \u201aWesen\u2018. Tennisspieler werden zu ganz anderen Kreaturen, sobald das Match angefangen hat. Draussen sind sie dann wieder ganz normal Menschen und bestellen sich Bier oder Mandelmilch. Die Magie einfangen, dem Banalen und Allt\u00e4glichen, das uns mit eisernem W\u00fcrgegriff umgibt, etwas zauberhaftes entgegensetzen, das ist hier das Ziel. Ausserdem habe ich mir vorgenommen, kein eigenes privates Geld mehr in Hotelkosten und dergleichen zu stecken. Danke also an die Entscheider von Bad Homburg, dass sie mir geholfen haben, konsequent zu bleiben. Und sorry an Iga und die anderen, dass ich jetzt wieder keine sch\u00f6nen Bilder von ihnen machen kann.<\/div>\n
Today I received a rejection of my accreditation application for the WTA tournament in Bad Homburg. Of course, it\u2019s always unpleasant to be turned down. But I also understand why, for various reasons. It basically comes down to a target audience issue. The tennis people don\u2019t understand my artistic-photographic approach. Photography enthusiasts don\u2019t recognize the fascination of tennis as a \u201cgame of glass beads.\u201d The organizers read my critical comments and think I\u2019m just a troublemaker. Those who, like me, are highly critical of the excesses of capitalism wonder why I chose to attend such a decadent gathering of the wealthy. As you can see from my photo on the Bad Homburg accreditation application, I am a heavyset man in my sixties, with long hair and a goatee, and a face that, though not severely, is clearly marked by diabetes. Basically, everyone thinks: Who is this guy? What does he want with his photos? I could now outline my philosophical approach, which, in short, asserts that life is about nothing more than \u201cabandon\u201d\u2014that is, devotion\u2014and it doesn\u2019t matter at all to which activity. It could be a sport, or a craft, or woodworking, collecting, or designing. Anyone who has found their own niche in which they can lose themselves completely has found their purpose in life. I am someone who doesn\u2019t care at all about winning. The drive to win is the fundamental fuel for every tennis player. And for many, of course, the desire to get rich. None of that matters to me at all. But the energy on the court, the intense focus on the opponent, the battle against emotions and discouragement\u2014all of that is what makes tennis alive and fascinating to me. But why this dark, blurred aesthetic approach now? In my defense, I can point to the little book *In Praise of Shadows* by Tanizaki Jun’ichir\u014d, who explores the traditional Japanese approach to light and shadow. In the Western world, everything is brightly lit; there is no mystery, no dream, no\u2026 \u2026soul. Count D\u00fcrkheim speaks of the \u201cworld-self\u201d and the \u201cessence\u201d; Gottfried Benn distinguishes between poetry and ordering a beer. There\u2019s nothing wrong with spending twenty thousand euros on excellent equipment and then letting the technology do the work. We all have this “essence” within us. Tennis players become completely different creatures the moment the match begins. Once they step off the court, they\u2019re just ordinary people again, ordering beer or almond milk. The goal here is to capture that magic\u2014to counter the mundane and everyday realities that surround us with an iron grip with something enchanting. Besides, I\u2019ve decided not to spend any more of my own money on hotel costs and the like. So thanks to the decision-makers in Bad Homburg for helping me stay the course. And sorry to Iga and the others that I won’t be able to take any nice pictures of them again.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>
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\n\tRight click on the header, then 'open in new tab' in order to watch the image in original size (1920x1080). \u00a9 Christian Brockmeier | all rights reserved\n<\/div>\n<\/center>\n<\/div><\/div>
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\n\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\t\tIn Praise Of Shadows\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\t\to:ld > n:ew pic #0697\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\t\to:ld > n:ew pic #0674\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\t\tt:og’s f:ault\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\t\to:ld > n:ew pic #0618\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\t\to:ld > n:ew pic #0463\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\t\to:ld > n:ew pic #0226\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>
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Fire in Motion<\/p>\n

Out of the darkness,
\nshe bursts forward
\nlike a spark refusing to be extinguished.<\/p>\n

The world around her fractures into shadows,
\ninto blurred traces of motion and noise,
\nbut her purpose remains sharp,
\ndrawn in light against the black.<\/p>\n

The ball races through the air,
\na pale comet crossing a midnight sky.
\nFor most, it would be gone in an instant.<\/p>\n

But she has already found it.<\/p>\n

Her hands close around certainty.
\nHer eyes burn with focus.
\nEvery muscle gathers itself
\ninto a single act of intention.<\/p>\n

There is no room here for hesitation.<\/p>\n

Only instinct.
\nOnly commitment.
\nOnly the silent promise
\nto meet the moment fully.<\/p>\n

The darkness rushes past her.
\nThe racket carves its path.
\nTime stretches and bends,
\nlingering for a heartbeat longer
\nthan it should.<\/p>\n

And in that suspended breath,
\nthere is something fierce and beautiful.<\/p>\n

Not merely competition,
\nbut defiance.<\/p>\n

A refusal to yield.
\nA refusal to look away.
\nA refusal to become smaller
\nthan the challenge before her.<\/p>\n

Then the moment breaks.<\/p>\n

The ball continues its journey.
\nThe shadows reclaim their space.
\nThe world begins to move again.<\/p>\n

Yet something remains behind\u2014
\nthe echo of courage,
\nthe shape of determination,
\na brief flash of fire
\nburning brightly against the night.<\/p>\n

—<\/p>\n

Feuer in der Bewegung<\/p>\n

Aus der Dunkelheit
\nbricht sie hervor
\nwie ein Funke,
\nder sich weigert zu verl\u00f6schen.<\/p>\n

Die Welt um sie herum zerf\u00e4llt
\nzu Schatten, zu fl\u00fcchtigen Spuren von Bewegung und L\u00e4rm,
\ndoch ihr Ziel bleibt klar,
\nwie mit Licht in die Schw\u00e4rze gezeichnet.<\/p>\n

Der Ball schie\u00dft durch die Luft,
\nein blasser Komet am Nachthimmel.
\nF\u00fcr die meisten w\u00e4re er
\nschon im n\u00e4chsten Augenblick verschwunden.<\/p>\n

Doch sie hat ihn l\u00e4ngst gefunden.<\/p>\n

Ihre H\u00e4nde umschlie\u00dfen Gewissheit.
\nIhre Augen brennen vor Konzentration.
\nJeder Muskel sammelt sich
\nf\u00fcr einen einzigen Akt der Entschlossenheit.<\/p>\n

Hier gibt es keinen Platz f\u00fcr Z\u00f6gern.<\/p>\n

Nur Instinkt.
\nNur Hingabe.
\nNur das stille Versprechen,
\ndem Augenblick ganz zu begegnen.<\/p>\n

Die Dunkelheit zieht an ihr vorbei.
\nDer Schl\u00e4ger schneidet seinen Weg durch die Luft.
\nDie Zeit dehnt sich aus,
\nals wollte sie noch einen Herzschlag l\u00e4nger verweilen.<\/p>\n

Und in diesem angehaltenen Atem
\nliegt etwas Wildes und Sch\u00f6nes.<\/p>\n

Nicht nur Wettkampf,
\nsondern Widerstand.<\/p>\n

Die Weigerung nachzugeben.
\nDie Weigerung wegzusehen.
\nDie Weigerung, kleiner zu werden
\nals die Herausforderung vor ihr.<\/p>\n

Dann zerbricht der Augenblick.<\/p>\n

Der Ball setzt seinen Flug fort.
\nDie Schatten kehren zur\u00fcck.
\nDie Welt beginnt wieder zu flie\u00dfen.<\/p>\n

Doch etwas bleibt zur\u00fcck\u2014
\ndas Echo von Mut,
\ndie Gestalt von Entschlossenheit,
\nein kurzer Blitz aus Feuer,
\nder hell gegen die Nacht aufleuchtet.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div> ","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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