ICE HOCKEY - help ...

[Nzshrimper]

I have been asked to shoot some ice hockey this weekend. Its the NZ premier league. 3 games squeezed in one weekend.

but lets be honest what the hell do i know about Ice Hockey.

All help and suggestions welcome.

[Dunner]

Take it from a Canadian, the rink will likely be poorly lit so use a fast lens. If this is a premier league then the lighting might not be so bad. I shoot with a Sigma 70-200 2.8 at 1/500, 2.8, 1600 iso. You'll likely be behind glass so try to get a clean spot on the glass. I like to shoot on either side from the blue-line in. Try to get tight shots on the players with the puck, or good bodychecks, or get the goalie in action making saves. Heck, you might even get some fight shots (best part of hockey?). Good luck.

[bardai94]

Hey, i also shoot hockey, havent yet with my latest purchase, rebel xt, buuut i do play ice hockey as well so i know what to do..anyways lighting is usually bad in arenas unless you are shooting an important game premier league is probably pretty big and considering you got asked to shoot it, it will probably be pretty good..anyways thing to look for is the player with the puck and skating remember all action will take place with the player that has the puck so just follow the puck and and thats where the action will be (goalies are good too shot but again follow the puck to the shot on net and you will get to shoot a save)..i'd say for ice hockey everyone is looking for the really nice skating shoots so go for those they look the best imo;) have fun!

[metalman1010]

Well first and formost your going to need a lens that is at least f/2.8.

What gear are you using?

PM forthcoming....

Ross

[Nzshrimper]

Well first and formost your going to need a lens that is at least f/2.8.

What gear are you using?

PM forthcoming....

Ross

pm received many thanks

using the 70-200 2.8 L - 30 d - and a 580 ex - this is one of the worst light indoor stadiums i have been too,

According to the experts the ice needs to have some better paint under it too, its more of a cream rather than white. Got my last game today. first game (Friday) write off. (practice game) second game (yesterday) much better have some keepers (not too many but hey its an improvement) and now todays game.

[dmwierz]

Hey, Shrimper. Let me disagree a little with the advice to follow the puck - if you follow the puck, you may find yourself a fraction of a second behind the action, and you might end up with a lot of shots timed just after the real action happened.

Instead, open both eyes and try to anticipate where the puck is going. Not knowing the sport is going to hinder you slightly, but it's not that difficult to follow, especially if you're close to the ice. You'll only be confused by the whistles and play stoppages.

Also, listen to Ross - he is not only a puckhead but also a cheesehead, and he knows hockey.

If you can use flash, this might help a lot. I've shot a lot of hockey with temporarily installed strobes, and some with an on-camera flash on a flash bracket. This actually works pretty well, and can give you a lot brighter, more colorful shots, not to mention allowing you to raise your shutter speeds if you put the flash in HSS mode. Don't fire the flash straight on; bounce it off the ceiling. Firing it straight on might distract the players, though I've done this a couple times at high school games and nobody seemed to mind.

Hopefully the ceiling will be reasonably white, and if not (or even if it is, since this is a good idea anyway), do a custom white balance on a gray card, if you have one, shooting it when you fire your flash.

Can you post some of your shots?

Dennis

[Nzshrimper]

Hey, Shrimper. Let me disagree a little with the advice to follow the puck - if you follow the puck, you may find yourself a fraction of a second behind the action, and you might end up with a lot of shots timed just after the real action happened.

Instead, open both eyes and try to anticipate where the puck is going. Not knowing the sport is going to hinder you slightly, but it's not that difficult to follow, especially if you're close to the ice. You'll only be confused by the whistles and play stoppages.

Also, listen to Ross - he is not only a puckhead but also a cheesehead, and he knows hockey.

If you can use flash, this might help a lot. I've shot a lot of hockey with temporarily installed strobes, and some with an on-camera flash on a flash bracket. This actually works pretty well, and can give you a lot brighter, more colorful shots, not to mention allowing you to raise your shutter speeds if you put the flash in HSS mode. Don't fire the flash straight on; bounce it off the ceiling. Firing it straight on might distract the players, though I've done this a couple times at high school games and nobody seemed to mind.

Hopefully the ceiling will be reasonably white, and if not (or even if it is, since this is a good idea anyway), do a custom white balance on a gray card, if you have one, shooting it when you fire your flash.

Can you post some of your shots?

Dennis

thanks again for everyones input.
I will post some of the shots i got.
they are not the best but hey i t was a learning curve.

check back later when i have pp and uploaded to web.

again thanks guys.

[Nzshrimper]

ok here is one from the weekend - quickly pp'ed

http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u185/nzshrimper/5eadenslapshot.jpg

[billshack]

ice hockey is tough to shoot at best. Low light, fast action, ice background.. glss in front of you sometimes, limited good shot locations..etc..

But this has been discussed at length here before. I would suggest checking some other threads for some good advice as well as continuing to post your shots here.

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=130234

best of luck. I cant wait to try my new Markiii this upcoming season.

[Nzshrimper]

four posted here from the weekend..

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=355205