Federporn Friday (By LJ) – Post AO2014 blues…

For a few years now I’ve yearned for that photographer media pass. The one that will get me me closer, allow me to bring into a venue; longer and better lenses, perhaps a monopod and other extras… But I realised, especially this year, that a press pass has its own restrictions. When you shoot for publication, there’s no meandering, no breathing room, no time to focus on just a singular player, a singular moment. And I’ve realised over the years that as long as this old bloke is playing, it’s going to be hard for me to focus on any other player. However with limited equipment and access comes a sense and the need to be better, to shoot better, to keep improving over the years and to be original in visual quality. The benefit of added post-processing time also means an opportunity to finesse, to refine and to make a shot memorable.

As I reflect on my photography at Brisbane International and the Australian Open this year, I didn’t yearn as much for media legitimacy as I did in previous years because I understood the limitations of what I thought I wanted and instead decided to EMBRACE the restrictions of what I had and try to create the best work out of what I had available. As from the previous Federporn posts, I hope that you guys can recognise my efforts to be different to your usual Reuters, Getty or AP sports coverage. And I hope my passion for the tennis of Roger Federer and also the man comes across. I don’t often like to self-congratulate but I think at least for some of the shots this year, I really think I did myself proud.

Anyway, enough chat, enjoy the photos and I hope to take more in the future…

From me…Au Revoir Roger… until 2015.

You can see all my tennis images and more here.

Previous Federpornery here

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Federporn Friday (By LJ) – AO2014 Pre-Fedal Grit & Determination Edition

I know y’all are facing the Fedal jitters, the palm sweats, the neck hairs, the lingering unease in the pit of your stomach, the desperate need to attack the xanax, stillnox, valium, moscato or other drug/alcohol of your choice to cope with the stress that Fedal brings.

The thing is… I never used to stress this much about Fedal, but then Wimby2008, AO2009, FO2011,  AO2012 and the ENTIRETY of 2013 happened and now I want to vomit my guts out at every Fedal matchup.

But even though this inexplicable and unnecessary stress blankets everything, there is always a faint sliver of hope. And as we Fed fans struggle through it, suffering the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, we somehow…somehow come out alive the otherside.

I braved the intense, insane Melbourne heat of Australina Open 2014, to bring you hopefully some of the best and most interesting Federer photos that you’ll see on this side of Getty Images. Waiting on court 17 in 43 degree heat for hours (thats like 109F to you imperial peeps) is something that I only do for one swiss potato nosed dude.

Federporn Friday (By LJ) – It’s been too long…

Wow, looking back it’s been almost a FULL YEAR since the last Federporn Friday post. I guess there wasn’t much to celebrate with FPF in 2013, but when I get to take pictures of Mr Adorkable in person, you betchya I’ll try and wrangle some FPF time from dootsiez.

This year dootsiez and I braved the humid Brisbane heat and saw Wogie, up close and personal (and by up close I mean 2nd row from court biatches) in Pat Rafter Arena. With my new camera and lens in tow, I braved the bicep killing weight of my kit (dootsiez can testify how heavy it is) and made sure I brought you some of my best work so far.

I guess think of this as a pre-Australian Open celebratory FPF… a chance to celebrate…

Federporn Friday (by LJ) – Celebrating the draw from HELL (AO2013)

Well it has been a long time since we had one of these right? Well we’ve decided regardless of the result of tonights semi against Murray, we’re celebrating the fact that old man Fudd made it this far with the draw from hell.

So here are a few (okay a LOT) of my favourite pictures I took at AO2013. Again I’m pining for that photographer media pass one day…but until then I’ll have to be content with just hitting a lot of other people in the head with my giant canon 70-200mm F4L.

Federporn Friday (By LJ): Pimms No 1 Cup Edition

HAVE WE RECOVERED? Well not really, I’m still celebrating a little bit every morning with a post wimby win happy dance. Seriously I’ve never celebrated my own achievements this much, what is with this man?

Anyhoo, Dootsiez has kindly given me permission for a bit of celebratory FPF today…so ENJOY!!!

It was going to be the entire tournament but after wading through 60 pages of Daylife and STILL not having made it past the final…I gave up…the following are of Final/Post Final only.

Last time Princess Rog graced the wimby finals it was in his Sargeant Pepper Number, thankfully this time it was a little more subdued.

Picspam: This is too much. SHUT DOWN THE INTERNETZ.

Since Moonpie Zemek and A-Gallivant felt the need to wake me up on “Hump Day” with a giant hump of a Tumblr post, I believe it is my civic duty to share these with Picket Fence readers.

Courtesy of Credit Suisse’s latest campaign with Roger Federer, gifs from Federerblog.

Federporn (Belated) Friday (By LJ): Choice Slides from AO2012

Are you feeling a little low? Thinking the final with Novak and Rafa just won’t do it for you? Well hopefully some pRon will make you feel a little better and keep you energised once you decide to swear off tennis forever after the end of AO2012…or until Davis Cup starts up in 2 weeks time.

Now I was only able to grace AO2012 with my presence for 2 days and thus only saw Princess Rog a few times but hopefully I’ve made up for it with the sheer amount of photographic spammage I made.

Now, I’m pretty short, 1cm shorter than Francesca Schiavone…or so Wikipedia tells me…so after a giant debacle whereby I was sticking by Roger’s OWN practice schedule on Court 4 and waiting in the hot hot sun for over an hour…douchebag decides to turn up on Court 16 (which is like 5km away) and the only reason I caught him was because I decided to saunter over and say hi to some RFcommers.

For those who haven’t had the privilege of waiting out for a Federer practice session in the scorching Melbourne sun…let me put it this way…if you’re not there at least 45min before his scheduled practice…you ain’t getting a front row seat baby…and thus have to fight through a 5-9 deep crowd (if you’re short) just to get a glimpse. And this is when being an aggressive photographer with a BIG lens…comes in handy…

At first…it was pure hold the camera up and spam…I couldn’t see shit…I just hoped my camera could…

Yeah douchebag even looked good without been seen…is that akin to if a tree falls in the woods does it still make a sound type analogy? Anyway…i dunno, soon I had a relatively clear line of sight anyway…

Do you like ACTION??? I LOVE ACTION…here are some action SHOTS…

The above photo btw…is possibly one of my favourite photos I’ve ever taken…I’m blowin up that baby and making it into a NIKE JUST DO IT! poster or some shit…I should probably sell it to other worshipping fangirls…or I should just sell it to NIKE, in fact why doesn’t NIKE just hire me to take photos of him for their campaigns…huh? huh?

ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED??? Well here’s some more pervy stuff…

mirnin’ himself on the big screen

Lashes..and Chest hair…completely unintentional….I SWEAR!!!!

HAIR!!!!

MOAR HAIR!!!!

Well I hope you enjoyed that…and I hope it made you feel slightly better about AO2012 in general. If you liked my photos, the rest from the tourney of Wogie McFed are here, here and here. Also if you really really like the pRon that I give you…petition AO2013 to give me a media pass or something…or even better maybe ask RF.com to make me their official Photog for the next Aussie slam…cause you know it’ll result in more stuff for you guys.

I’ll try and enjoy the final as much as I can tomorrow night, but for now Wog and I will both bid Adieu!

Great posts by PJ and Matt below on the serious stuff…like tennis and whatnot…check them out.

Federporn Friday (by LJ) : Choice sides from the Davis Cup…

So with the news that we won’t be seeing his Royal Tennistical Highness till the European indoor swing, I bring you some lovin’ federporn from the past Davis Cup between Australia and Switzerland. The colour Red has never looked better…

We start with the back…side…

Then…take a saunter around the blurry side…

How about the nonchalant side??? Meh?

Yessums, volleying with my eyes closed…

I’m thinking…pasta arrabiata tonight?

What about the…BAMF side?

werkin it

KNOWING It

HAIRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR !!!!!!!!!!

LOOKING INTO THE WINDOW TO YOUR SOUL!!!!!!!

=D

*pics by moi

Federporn Friday: Wag that FINGER bitchezz.

BOOM!

Just to keep you on your toes. 😉

You guyzzz! ‘Pologies with the lack of bloggage of late. Student life takes its usual toll around Roland Garros time. Many, MANY, squishy Wogie-shaped thank yous to Poojay, you kept Picket Fence well maintained during the dirty slam.

But now, I am DONE with exams. DONE with clay. DONE with this temperamental Aussie winter and I am BACK bitches – back with a little bonus Federporn Friday.

Just give me a second while I catch your jaw before it clatters onto the ground.

Federbitches … you know what I’m sick of, these days?

I am sick of the negativity over a loss on clay. To Nadal. Who, not only matches up well against Roger, is 5 years younger, but also has an inherent surface advantage at Roland Garros.

I am sick of the constant, incessant scrutiny over every bit of Federer’s body language, his words, his deeds, when the man has done NOTHING but give the sport the most excellent name in the course of his career.

I am sick of the media double standards. I’m sick of the GOAT debate.

… I’m sick of expecting disappointment. I’m sick of being critical.

So here’s the deal for Wimbledon: It’s on grass. Our surface of choice. Federer has the kind of draw that he can DO things with. He came out of Roland Garros in good form, with 2 weeks of rest.

All of these point to one, irrefutably awesome conclusion: It is time to get our swagger back.

THAT IS ALL.

BOOM!

xx doots

P.S. A closer look at the Wimbledon draw tomorrow. IT’S FRIDAY FRIDAY GOTTA GET DOWN ON WOGER ON FRIDAY!

Federporn Friday (by PJ): Celebration of Miracles

Remember this video that ESPN made before the birth of The Mighty Babes? I remember feeling ridiculously touched by the video and thinking that one little person is indeed going to be very loved and lucky. Well, it turned out that there are two. And today, we celebrate the birthday of Myla Rose Federer and Charlene Riva Federer, who officially turned a year old. And so Federporn today is a celebration of the Federers!

—–

Dear Myla and Charlene,

Congratulations and happy birthday to the two most adorable babes ever! Do you know the story of how you come to be? Not the “scientific” process, of course. That you will learn in high school. Or something. Beyond the science though, it really is a long and amazing story but I will try to summarise it for you two.

Your daddy is Roger Federer, and your mummy is Mirka Federer, as you know. They met in the year 2000, when your daddy was 19 years old and not hot, and they were both playing tennis in the Sydney Olympics. It was love at first sight for your daddy, but not so for mummy.

He eventually won her over with his sincerity and probably also a whole load of dorkiness.

It is a very steady and wonderful relationship as they went through trials and tribulations together, and your mummy is always, ALWAYS by your daddy’s side as he grows and flourishes to be one of the greatest sports stars of this era and millennium.

Your mummy was there during his very first Slam…

…and second, and third, and fourth…and so on till his sixteenth Slam, his first win as a father and a win obviously dedicated to his two precious little girls.

When you two came along, your parents could not be happier.

They got married, and prepared for your arrival.

When you two darlings were born, it was undoubtedly the proudest moment of your daddy’s (and mummy’s) life. To him, the joy is indescribable and all too surreal.

Your daddy is one of the world’s most loved and most talented tennis players. He gave the whole bunch of us a lot of joy in watching him play, and watching him win. He genuinely loves the sport, and he loves his life.

He also looks really hot on court (and off), but then that’s probably something you will never ever think of your daddy. Never mind, leave it to the few million of us.

Your daddy has this amazing ability to bring people together because of him. A whole bunch of us would probably never have met or got to know each other or call each other friends or gone crazy if not for the mutual appreciation of your daddy’s talent, skill, spirit sexiness hotness mofoness monkeyness and all things wonderful on court and off.

Your daddy has a big, big heart. He always takes time out for fans, for photographs, autographs and he even signed the Federbear of his biggest fan this year in Wimbledon.

He also does a lot of charity work for the underprivileged. You two angels are very very blessed, but there are a lot of other children not as fortunate, and your daddy does his best to ensure that he can change their lives, as much as he could. He certainly hopes for the two of you to continue his work when you grow up, so keep that in mind, okay?

Happy Birthday again. Have an amazing day with your amazing parents, and be sure that half the world is sending you two little babes all the best wishes in the world.

Be very blessed and lucky to know you two are loved unconditionally, for always, and forever.

Have a great day throwing cake at each other!

Love,
PJ