This will make you groan...

... like a pro tennis player as they smash their first serve... I have just processed a couple of photos for the first match on Court 14 today, a French Italian clash starring Florent Serra and Andreas Seppi. I couldn't help but chuckle to my pathetic and easily amused self, imagining the two of them singing to the crowd before the match starts... "Que Serra, Serra, whatever Seppi, Seppi"

Oh, shoot me now.

A few photos from yesterday...

- A line marker makes slow and methodical progress across a court.
- A view of the dining areas in the Millennium Building taken from the Rocky steps. The steps are so named after the scene in the film where Sly runs up a million steps as the music reaches a crescendo. Ian and I used to run up them humming the music. Da da daaaa, da da daaaa, da da daaaa, da da daaaa, dadada da da dada daaa... It loses a little when written down, huh.
- The Terracotta Army comes to SW19. These statues are standing in the new No.2 Court. There are eight of them, and they stare out impassively over the virgin grass. I swear I could hear them chanting 'Whooooo are ya, who are ya'.








- This is Terracotta Nadal, fitting really, given his prowess on clay. I haven't seen the 'real' army, but I am betting they look slightly more terracottery than these mighty tennis champions do.
- Terracotta Fed.
- As Ian said to me last night, the new No.2 Court looks a little bit like a Second Life build, with no textures added yet. It feels intimate, amphitheatre-ish, and should be a great show court once it has been finished.
- This next image, the grass on the new No.2 Court, was taken using a tilt and shift lens (as was the first photo of the Terracotta Eight). Indeed, several of the photos here are done using that lens. Makes everything look like a diorama. Luckily there was a groundsman, which lends the image a sense of scale.
- The flag above the new No.2 Court wafts gently in the breeze.








- A couple of police officers at the top of a potentially shin-snapping metal staircase that leads up to the crow's nest above Courts 2 and 3.
- A steward walks along the elevated seating on Court 3.
- Meanwhile, back at base (the Broadcast Centre), Boris Becker is interviewed. It probably had something to do with tennis.
- The last match on Court 18 was moved to Court 17, which was a shame as I had hoped to photograph it for a little while. I went down to 17 to see if it was worth taking some shots to find people watching six deep, courtside. No chance of any photos I thought... luckily someone turned their head and I got this by shooting through their ears. Tricky to line up, as I am sure you can imagine. Contemplating the imminent serve, the quiet concentration on Elena Dementieva's face a stark contrast to the rugby scrum around the court.

I did take a few shots of the previous match on Court 18, and when I get a spare moment I will post one or two.

Yesterday we received 2222 photographs, and published 145 of them. Add that to the 2036 we received on the first day of play, and the total (start > run > calc>OK) is 4258 photos. It is threatening to rain, so the count might be a little less today.

More, later...

Morning again, and so soon...

With work finally finished for the day, we eventually left the AELTC at about a quarter to midnight, negotiating a mostly unlit walk to the car park on the far side of the grounds. In years past we have been fortunate enough to have accommodation within walking distance. It was great as it gave you a vague feeling of fitness doing the walk at the start and end of the day, especially important as we spend a vast majority of the day stuck in front of computers. Now though we are in a house that may as well be in Brighton, and though it is still walkable it is a walk too far at such a time of night. I understand that we have been moved out into the sticks in an effort to save money. I think it is a false economy, and that the extra money spent on a house closer to the venue was worth it for the good of the team. Instead we now stress about being able to find a parking space, or decline an invitation to go for a beer in the village with the rest of the internet team (who have a house that is far more favourably positioned for making it to the pub for last orders), which is a shame as when you are working this many hours for 'the privilege' it would be nice to be able to do that. But, hey, what do I know, I am just a graphic designer.

I have met a fair few people both inside and outside the company who think that working here at the event is a jolly, all Pimms and strawberries and "Spiffingly good rally I say, Quentin, what! DaFronk honk! Snort! Pass the quail eggs!". Well, it is enjoyable (because I get to work with some of the people I most respect and admire), and yes it is to some extent a privilege (the official web site is after all pretty high profile), but it is really quite hard work too. And any drink that comes with a built-in salad is not a drink for me.

You might read the above and think that I sound a little cheesed off. I promise, I am not :) Just a bit tired, as it is morning again, and so soon...