Russ Adams (tennis photographer)
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- For the professional baseball player see Russ Adams.
Russ Adams (born July 30, 1930) is called by his peers the "dean" of modern tennis photography. In a Boston Globe profile (July 12, 2007) of Russ Adams regarding his July 2007 induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island, Billie Jean King stated: "Russ is a national treasure." "He's our dean, our guru, our guardian. Believe me, the players look for him and love him," King added.
He has covered the sport for 50 years, created associated tennis photography rules, and his work has appeared on over 250 magazine covers.[citation needed] He was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island in July 2007 along with tennis legends Pete Sampras, Arantxa Sánchez Vicario, and Sven Davidson.
Adams has spent the last 50 years visually documenting the history of tennis at over 400 events. He is the face behind the camera and his work has illuminated the greatest moments and stories in the sport.
Adams has photographed Grand Slam Tournaments, the World Championship Tour (WCT), all major United States Tennis Association (USTA) tournaments, Fed Cup, Davis Cup, and tennis at the Olympic Games. Watch[1] five video vignettes about the Australian Open that show Russ and highlight his work, produced and aired by The Tennis Channel, that ran on TV during this year's tournament.
He was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize in 1955 for his photography in the world of sports. His images have been on more than 250 magazine covers[citation needed] (from Sports Illustrated to Tennis World), which is believed to be more than any other single photojournalist covering any discipline.[who?]
In 1967 he became the official (volunteer) photographer of the U.S. National Championship at Forest Hills. At the birth of Open Tennis he developed and implemented the system for on-court photographers at the 1969 U.S. Open Championship in tandem with the tournament director Bill Talbot.
He has served as director/liaison of photographers for the U.S. Open, and was instrumental in developing the universal "Code of Conduct" in conjunction with the Professional Tennis Council to be used by photographers covering tennis events around the world.
He was a founding member of the International Tennis Federation Media Commission and served on the Board for 17 years.
Adams has generated over 1.6 million tennis images.[citation needed] The collection is considered the largest privately held source of images in the tennis world. "His portfolio of photos is probably the most comprehensive volume chronicling the game of tennis from its professional infancy," stated fellow International Tennis Hall of Famer Jim Courier in a Northeast Tennis Magazine (Summer 2007) cover profile of Adams.
[edit] Awards
| Year | Award |
|---|---|
| 1955 | Nominated for a Pulitzer Prize |
| 1976 | ATP (Association for Tennis Professionals) Special Award |
| 1984 | ATP Distinguished Service Award |
| 1991 | ATP Ron Bookman Media Execellence Award |
| 1993 | New York Press Photgraphers Appreciation Award |
| 2001 | ITF Award for Service to the Game |
| 2002 | USTA Media Excellence Lifetime Achievement Award |
| 2007 | Inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame |
