In just four short years, pickleball has become the fastest-growing sport in America, attracting almost five million players of all ages. The game's rise in popularity in recent years has been impressive, given that it was invented back in 1965 by Washington-based families who wanted to entertain their children. Today, pickleball is enjoyed worldwide, with hundreds of tournaments held every year, demonstrating its wide appeal and the passion of its players.

One of the top players in the pickleball world is Kyle Yates. Kyle is known for his incredible talent on the court, his dedication to the sport, and his passion for sharing his love of the game with others through coaching and mentorship.

Recently, I had the opportunity to photograph Kyle for InPickleball Magazine. While I was excited about the prospect of capturing some fun lifestyle portraits of Kyle, I have to admit that I wasn't very familiar with the sport before our photoshoot. So, in order to prepare, I consulted with Google to learn more about pickleball and the subject I was about to photograph.

Photographing Kyle Yates at an actual pickleball tournament was an exciting prospect, but it also meant that my assistant and I had a lot of logistics to work out beforehand. Thankfully, we gave ourselves plenty of time to plan, as we arrived at a vibrant scene filled with enthusiastic pickleball players and fans. Despite the chaos, we were able to secure a practice court for Kyle's photoshoot, which allowed us to capture him in action. Throughout the shoot, Kyle proved to be incredibly laid back and easy to work with, which made it all the more exhilarating to capture his dedication to the game and showcase his impressive abilities on the court.