Mirella Von Chrupek has made quite a name for herself via her Sunlit Courts project which captures the beauty and stillness of empty, sun-drenched, clay courts, across Europe and her native country of Poland, earning her a feature in The Second Serve's most recent issue of Open Magazine.

For this series of 14 Shots, she captured something different, a 125-level tournament, full of bodies and motion. We asked her what changes from her perspective when the court fills up.

LOVEGAME: Your Sunlit Courts work is built around the physical court, what is it that draws you into that particular aesthetic?

Mirella Von Chrupek: My usual practice focuses on photographing empty tennis courts. I am drawn to their stillness, to the quiet presence of a space waiting for something to happen.

LG: So what happens when the court fills up? When it's a tournament instead of an empty clay court at golden hour?

MVC: At tournaments, the situation changes completely. The courts are no longer empty but filled with players, spectators and activity. In this environment, I approach the scene from my own perspective. I am less drawn to the intensity of the action or to capturing decisive moments. Instead, I prefer to observe from the outside, paying attention to how the players, the space and everything happening around them come together.

LG: You mentioned observing from the outside. Talk about the long lens and what is it actually giving you as a photographer?

MVC: I like long lenses because they place me in the position of an observer who is physically far away, never quite part of the action. I want players to remain connected to the space around them. The court, the colours, the shadows, the architecture, the surface and the movement of the body all belong to the same image.

LG: Talk about how you shoot players as a part of the overall canvas, and what's behind that choice?

MVC: I tend to photograph players from behind, from a distance or without showing their faces. My perspective is almost that of someone looking through a keyhole, observing fragments of a scene rather than documenting the action directly. The players enter the landscape of the court, becoming part of its changing composition rather than appearing as individual figures. I am interested in the visual relationships between the human body, the architecture of the court, light, colour and movement. What matters to me is that the whole aesthetic comes together.

LG: What are you actually looking for in a frame when shooting live action?

MVC: The colour of a dress might echo the colour of the surface, a particular fabric might catch the light in a certain way or a player's movement might create a shape or shadow that suddenly makes the whole composition work. I am not trying to tell the story of who the player is. In this sense, the player becomes part of the scene rather than its main character. I am looking for the visual story that happens between the player and the court.

LG: That's a real departure from a lot of tournament photography, which is built around the player's face, their reaction, the emotion of the moment. How do you think about that difference?

MVC: Yes there are many professionals who are exceptional at capturing players' reactions and revealing their faces in moments of intensity and portraying their expressions. However, this differs from the perspective I bring to my own work. Their photographs effectively capture the event, the result, the emotion and the personalities of the players.

LG: Was it always this clear to you, or did you have to find this way of seeing tournaments?

MVC: Rather than focusing on action, I am drawn to what happens around it. It took me some time to understand how I could photograph tournaments in a way that felt like my own. Slowly, through practice and experience, I am beginning to understand what I am looking for.

LG: Physically, what's a tournament day like for you, compared to your usual practice of wandering empty courts?

MVC: The process of photographing during tennis events can sometimes be physically and mentally intense. But this intensity is part of the process. Tournament days are long. I carry all my equipment myself, move constantly and remain completely focused during matches that can last long. On some days, I may photograph three or more matches. There is very little time to slow down. This is very different from my regular practice of photographing tennis courts when I usually have unlimited time to wander around, looking for the right angle and simply observing the space at my own pace.