Photographing Zina Garrison

So the other day my mother tells me that my coach Brenda Gilmore from tennis (Prince George's Tennis and Education Foundation, pgtef.org) wanted me to photograph this woman named Zina, who would be doing a tennis clinic at the bubble. I had no clue who she was talking about. I talked myself into doing it because my first time at the foundation, I refused to go to a clinic with this man named James Blake...needless to say I have learned that coach has amazing people visit us.

When I arrived that rainy sunday evening, I was ashamed because I had not googled her before I arrived to shoot... Coach Gilmore gave me the lowdown:

• At one point she was number 4 in the world.
• She won the junior wimbledon
• gold medalist at the '88 games
• three time mixed doubles champ
• coached the last three olympics
• captained the US Fed Cup team

Soooo... I was happy to be able to shoot...and that I didn't take a long sunday nap!

Always smiling and laughing and engaging closely with the children, I found Mrs. Zina Garrison very easy to photograph. She wasnt afraid to give the children advice, high-five, and get one-on-one when the times presented themselves. And she had no problem with me stalking her with my camera...The children had a great time, hitting their little hearts out and earning prizes while doing so.

And then I went home.