Inspiring shots, not all by Federer...

If you have as much interest in photography as an art as you do in tennis as one, then you will enjoy a visit to the New York Times where currently in the multimedia section is a slide show of 12 shots taken by a range of professional photographers at Wimbledon this year. While the talk of the town is the length of the final set and the call for mighty endurance after the four highly-contested previous sets, some of the photographs submitted and published are clearly winners too. They are presented, in the NYT usual slide format, with annotations, this time in terms of the progress of the match. While several of the photographs are set pieces showing the trophy, various grimaces of both players etc., there are two standd-out photographs.

Indeed, Gerry Penny's photo (European Pressphoto Agency) is worthy of study, indeed awe. It shows Federer a second or so before chipping a low ball back over the net at close range, using his raquet as a blade. There he is – his left leg tully extended backwards so that he is momentarily airborne, balancing himself by judicious placement of his taut right hand. Penny has caught him at just the correct angle so all can see Federer's skill in taunting the ball back to life, his left arm is extended while he relies on his right body for the exquisite balance required. It is a spectacular shot, from both Federer and Penny, both joined, unaware, in a moment of utter concentration.

Julian Finney (Getty Images) has presented a freak shot which shows Federer in a serpentine pose, all in white with just the red and blue of his racquet angled ominously overhead as he returns to Roddick. The Fed's right arm is extended fully upward, his body, of course, facing the projected target, and his knees drawing his body into an 's' shape as he bends dramatically to the left, his feet together as closely as his knees. Although Roddick appears in the shot his passive, waiting presence is meant merely as a contrast to the awesome configuration of his opponent's equally athletic body.

But do have a look for yourself at the address above – the beauty of the nyt mulltimedia section is the long life of the (photograph) sets, just like the tennis. It's just a matter of typing in the key words to the nytimes search space.

There is great and fitting prowess then, to the photographers' skills and these still photographs call on us as viewers to note what it is that is so remarkable and to think about it, to pay homage even. This attitude of attentiveness is a useful one to bring to many a photograph in many fields – art, architecture, landscape, nature and movement.