Field Hockey - a first for me

[DarrenL]

Well peeps, today was the first game of hockey I've ever been too!!

I want you to be as honest as possible.

All shot with a 1D with 300mm F4.

#1
http://www.dlactionimages.co.uk/forumimages/62dc4081.jpg

#2
http://www.dlactionimages.co.uk/forumimages/62dc3962.jpg

#3
http://www.dlactionimages.co.uk/forumimages/62dc4017.jpg

#4
http://www.dlactionimages.co.uk/forumimages/62dc4044.jpg

#5
http://www.dlactionimages.co.uk/forumimages/62dc4051.jpg

#6
http://www.dlactionimages.co.uk/forumimages/62dc4068.jpg

Darren

[butcha27]

Looks like you captured the action pretty well to me! I particularly like #2,#3 and #6. What lens were you using? There's nice DOF they pop nicely.

[DarrenL]

Thanks Butcha, the lens I used was a Canon 300mm L F4. I love the quality of the images it produces. I'd really like the 2.8 version for night work (oh well, keep saving).

Darren

[Croasdail]

Nice color - interesting sport. I was only exposed to it in the last couple of years. I knew it was out there, but didn't really know much about it. Now, every time I see it I get a back ache. Looks like you had a relative good first go of it.

Cheers

[DarrenL]

Thanks Croasdail, as I never played hockey before I had to read up on the rules before. I love the fact that you don't have to have a goalkeeper, you can play with 11 field players if you want :D

Just like rush goalie in footie (soccer). Anyone every play that, normally using jumpers for goal posts :D

Darren

[Tall_Paul_2000]

Darren,

You really want me to be as honest as possible? Ok, well, I'm sorry, but....

....they're really pretty good for a first time out!!

#3 is the pick for me, peak action with 2 players in it.

[DarrenL]

Thanks Paul,

I was surprised how quick the game (and the ball) moves. I could barely keep up. Almost got hit whilst they were practicing.

Darren

[Tareq]

Hi darren,

Nice shots

I thought you got that 300 f2.8, so you are saving for it?

I don't do sports but this lens tempting me alot, in fact i was looking to get 400 f2.8 and 500 f4 only, but then i have been told to get 300 f2.8 and 600 f4, so i will save for some long primes for sports and wildlife and birds, not that much take shots but sure these lens will help me somehow, i am watching your photos here in sports section anyway, keep shooting and posting.

[DarrenL]

Thanks Tareq,

I've only got the F4 as this is all I can justify. I'd love the 2.8 version but it's too expensive to warrant at the moment so I am stuck woth my F4.

Darren

[Merciez]

Darren,

You really want me to be as honest as possible? Ok, well, I'm sorry, but....

....they're really pretty good for a first time out!!

#3 is the pick for me, peak action with 2 players in it.

Paul,

Would you suggest ways on how to improve on these photos? Do you look for more emotion and/or physical contact from the players to make a good photo?

THanks,

[musicmate]

excellent shots nice colour & sharpness well done, that 300 f4 looks like a great lens, hope you enjoyed your first hockey shoot.

Steve.

[Tareq]

Thanks Tareq,

I've only got the F4 as this is all I can justify. I'd love the 2.8 version but it's too expensive to warrant at the moment so I am stuck woth my F4.

Darren

No problem mate, this lens still good enough, it is not much different than f2.8 in the day time, someday i will have that lens i hope:D;)

[DarrenL]

Thanks for the comments Steve,

I did really enjoy watching the 20 somethings bending right over infront of me yes.

On a serious note, I had no idea what was going on half the time. What liked like a corner but there was only 1 defender and 5 attackers, the rest of the players were in th other half. Then there was blow up after after blow up, I had no idea what they were for.

One thing I did like was that no one complained about the ref's decesions at all. In BB and Footie, the fans feels it's their right to be able to shout and scream at the refs!

Darren

[musicmate]

yeah Darren the rules are still a bit of a mystery even tho i have been quite a few times as for the players not moaning they do moan but better do it quietly or the ref gives em a mouthful back & then a card as well.

[Tall_Paul_2000]

Paul,

Would you suggest ways on how to improve on these photos? Do you look for more emotion and/or physical contact from the players to make a good photo?

THanks,

Quite flattered you should ask me to suggest ways for these to be improved as I haven't been doing field hockey that long and in my opinion there are some others on here who are WAY better than I....but....so as not to disappoint.....

Just to make life easy, I look for both! If you think of 2 players trying to tackle/challenge for the ball by lunging for it, there is a peak moment where they are mid-lunge and their faces will show that exertion as well as the obvious physical contact from the players.

Ladies and Mens hockey are very different games (apart from the obvious reasons!!)!

Mens is a lot faster and a lot more physical - they will throw themselves around a lot more (even more so if its a water based astroturf pitch) and its easier to capture the physical nature of the sport.

Ladies hockey is a little more delicate (but sometimes, at some recent games, some challenges I have seen have made me wince) and its more about the timing of the tackle to get the ball back. You can still capture the physical nature of the game.

Peak action is the key really - and if you can get 2 players in the shot then so much the better. If you are selling to papers then by doing that you are covering shots for both sides in one image! One player "sportraits" are all well and good, however unless its at the very top level, you will find that the paper will use an image once, and then that will be it. The probability of a pic being reused at a lower league level is quite low.....therefore for me the key is getting shots that show as much action as possible or that tell the story of a key moment of the game.

The girls also show emotion in a very different way.....whereas the men will really celebrate a goal, the girls are a little more restrained.

Once you get used to the patterns of hockey and the way the game flows you will pick up some very good images indeed.

Using my thoughts as a basis, #3 is the pick of the bunch of these for me.

Hope this helps - Stacas gave me most of this advice so I am really shamelessly regurgitating it again, however it works. Since listening to his advice and feedback, my hockey pics have improved significantly.

[Merciez]

Thanks Paul for the great advice (even it is regurgitated :)). Thanks to Darren for posting the images, it is threads such as this one we learn how to be a better photographers.

[DarrenL]

Quite flattered you should ask me to suggest ways for these to be improved as I haven't been doing field hockey that long and in my opinion there are some others on here who are WAY better than I....but....so as not to disappoint.....

Just to make life easy, I look for both! If you think of 2 players trying to tackle/challenge for the ball by lunging for it, there is a peak moment where they are mid-lunge and their faces will show that exertion as well as the obvious physical contact from the players.

Ladies and Mens hockey are very different games (apart from the obvious reasons!!)!

Mens is a lot faster and a lot more physical - they will throw themselves around a lot more (even more so if its a water based astroturf pitch) and its easier to capture the physical nature of the sport.

Ladies hockey is a little more delicate (but sometimes, at some recent games, some challenges I have seen have made me wince) and its more about the timing of the tackle to get the ball back. You can still capture the physical nature of the game.

Peak action is the key really - and if you can get 2 players in the shot then so much the better. If you are selling to papers then by doing that you are covering shots for both sides in one image! One player "sportraits" are all well and good, however unless its at the very top level, you will find that the paper will use an image once, and then that will be it. The probability of a pic being reused at a lower league level is quite low.....therefore for me the key is getting shots that show as much action as possible or that tell the story of a key moment of the game.

The girls also show emotion in a very different way.....whereas the men will really celebrate a goal, the girls are a little more restrained.

Once you get used to the patterns of hockey and the way the game flows you will pick up some very good images indeed.

Using my thoughts as a basis, #3 is the pick of the bunch of these for me.

Hope this helps - Stacas gave me most of this advice so I am really shamelessly regurgitating it again, however it works. Since listening to his advice and feedback, my hockey pics have improved significantly.

Thanks for the advice Paul, I'll have a read through all that today :D

Darren

[gmen]

Good start on the hockey front Darren...

Just a thought on the rules front, I generally get the team sheets from the umpires at the end of the game (or sometimes at half-time) and that presents an opportunity to have a quick chat about the incidents in the game... the umpires are usually more than happy to explain what was going on at certain times and to shed some light on any mystifying moments.

---- Gavin

[DarrenL]

Thanks Gavin,

Will do next time. Hopefully, this weekend is part 2 of my New Year sports resolutions. Darren does Rugby!! Watch this space.

Darren