Art Opening

Hey there. You all know what yeo(wo)man's work Rosangel V. has been doing these past few weeks, covering events as TennisWorld's official resident photographer, posting daily Crisis Center threads, generally relieving me of some of the nuts and bolts work (and much, much more!) that is required now that TW has evolved into a more-or-less 24/7 weblog.

In the past, Rosia has posted links to her photo galleries in the Comments, but near the end of Queens, I prevailed upon her to hold off, create a representative portfolio, and then link to it via a proper post so those of you who don't necessarily real all the comments won't miss anything. So herewith, Rosia's first official TW photo exhibition!

Many of you will appreciate the high quality of these images, and while Rosangel has been credentialed as an "official" photographer at a number of events now, she still does much of her work without benefit of the advantages most pro photographers enjoy at tournaments. At the French Open, for example, she had a regular ticket, and lugged her photo equipment out to the site every day.

I lifted her camera bag one day and it must have weighed a good 40 pounds (hey, Rosia, did you ever think to actually weigh the bag?). Trust me, schlepping that bag around not just the grounds of a tournament, but in transit (via trains, planes and automobiles), is truly a grueling job. I tend to get all tetchy about having to go up and down a few flights of stairs a few times a day (depending on the logistics of the press center, interview room and press seats) carrying nothing heavier than a notebook, two pens, and a four-ounce digital tape recorder. I really stand in awe of what Rosangel accomplishes, not least because of the sheer stamina required.

But even when she's shooting from somewhere in the cheap seats, her images are striking, original and high quality. Sure she has good equipment - it would be impossible without it. But equipment is just the cost of getting into the game. The rest of it is all about your knowledge of the equipment and your photo-journalist's eye and aesthetic sensibilities.

I've asked Rosia to post the first Comment, below, just to walk you through the galleries and how she's created and organized them. She might want to say a few words about the toughest - or easiest - part of her job. After that, just sit back and enjoy. Have a glass of white wine and cubed cheese. I'm sure she'll be happy to answer any questions you may have - just post them in the Comments.

Many thanks, Rosangel, the indispensable job you do for TW!