Allen Eagles JV hockey

[littleman23408]

Here are some pictures I have taken the past couple weekends. Sorry for the link but I can't seem to get the img code to work for me. All images cropped and then edited with the Canon software.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/23672942@N05/

Thanks for looking and I appreciate any comments!

[cstewart]

Not bad as far as action goes. The few I looked at seemed a bit dark and probably could be bumped a bit brighter in post processing. Also, some looked really blue on my monitor. Likley a function of shooting through glass, and something that can be fixed in white balance.

Do you use a custom white balance? I find this helps eliminate any WB problems I have in dingy hockey rinks. Also, what are your other settings that you are using? EXIF was not available off the flikr images.

As to processing, I started using DPP for my post processing but I have switched to Lightroom as I find it has better controls and that it's noise reduction works a bit better for my high ISO shots.

As to getting images to appear here, your code should look like this (Note REMOVE the first space after the first bracket:

[ img]http://www.yourimage_url.com/yourimage.jpg[/img]

Cheers!

Chris

[cstewart]

As an example of the WB and brightness fix, here is one of your images that looked really blue that I have adjusted in Lightroom. Assuming my monitor is calibrated OK (!) it should look a bit brighter and whiter.

http://www.cjscons.com/suns/noblue.jpg

[littleman23408]

Thanks for the feedback Stewart.

Yes I use the custom white balance off the ice. I try to get the ice right after the zamboni finishes before any of the players/refs get out to the ice. I switch the lens to manual focus and try to get a good shot of the ice. Do you suppose I should get an image with one of the lights bouncing off the ice, or No light reflecting off the ice?

I will try that image code, I am using a mac so maybe it is different to find the source link, since i cant right click on the image and select properties. I cant find any of the individual links for the images off flickr.

As for settings, it all depends on the rink. This paticular rink was lit far better than what is has been. But I did notice that our professional hockey team practiced here that day, so maybe they left all the lights on. I try to get my white balance, my 6.5 fps, I know i use aperature mode and get that to 2.8. I believe i get around 320 to 500 shutter speed around 800 iso. I will have to check the settings of the individual shots when I get home.

As for post processing, I do plan on getting light room. Also the images for some reason looked plenty bright on my screen, and any brighter would have over exposed it. Like I said im using a mac. I have a 13" macbook.

Thanks again for the input/feedback and will get back to you on the settings.

[Brad999]

Hi, dmwierz, who shoots the NHL recommends shooting the ice before the tractor hits it

when I shoot a CWB for hockey, I either shoot a gray card, or when this isn't possible, I shoot an image of dirty ice (not freshly Zamboni'ed).

[littleman23408]

Ah, well that solves that. Thanks Brad. I will make sure to get the ice after the game finishes before us next time. Any ideas on how the grey card works instead of the ice? Since the gray card is ....well....grey?

[Brad999]

Do a search on "gray cards" and you will get a lot to read. I am guessing so probably shouldn't even answer, but from what I have read, its not really the color of the gray card, but the reflectance.

"dirty" ice and a gray card will both reflect 18%.

From what I understand and from bryan peterson's book "understanding exposure", here is a bit of what he says:

your cameras light meter doesn't see in color or black and white. It sees neutral gray. The meter is calibrated to assume that all those neutral gray subjects will reflect 18% of the light that hits them. The problem lies in the reflectance. White reflects approx 36%, while black absorbs most and only reflects 9%.

When your meter sees so much white with the boards and ice, it gives you a darker exposure and the improper reflectance will make your camera turn white into gray. So in essance, you must tell your camera what "white" is and the gray card will give the proper reflectance.

Also, I have read somewhere, the lights cycle diffent colors or temperature of light and a full cycle is 1/60 so when you do your shot for CWB, it must be of a shutter speed of 1/60 so as to get the proper color of the ice or grey card. I have shot it for fun and learning at a faster shutter speed and it has actually came out almost a reddish tinge.

I have also read that you do not need to focus on the ice or gray card...just make sure it fills your view finder, and to not let the lights bounce off your card or shadow it with your body...just get a natural shot of the typical lighting in the rink.

[littleman23408]

Thanks again Brad, I am going to have to check up on that book, as I see alot of people reccomending that book to everyone. Also I will search on grey cards, and see how my results compare when I do my cwb off the grey card.

Any other tips/suggestions? I think I have my timing down on the pictures, and getting faces, pucks, reactions in shots. I have many shots but on uploaded a few.

Thanks again.

[cstewart]

Yes Brad and Dennis are correct...do you white balance before the zamboni hits the ice. If shooting through glass, do the CWB thru glass. If you move to where there is no glass, RE-DO the CWB without the glass present...simple, but easy to forget in rush of getting photos. Vice versa of course too.

I've not tried a gray card, but suspect that to get the most accurate result with it, you would actually need to be on the ice surface to get the best reading. That is why just using the ice is handy as it is one big gray card!

You mention you are shooting aperature mode? I think you really need to go full manual and try and keep shutter speed at either 1/400 or 1/500. Then depending on your light, and the variability of light at the arena, you can adjust the aperature (or ISO) to get the exposure needed. I shot at one rink once at constant SS and ISO but where I could use f3.5 at one end for better depth of field, but I had to go to f2.8 at the other since the lighting was less at that end.

Keep experimenting and you'll find what works for you.

Cheers!

Chris

[littleman23408]

Now that you mention 1/500 I did get to that on the set of the one photo that you edited for me.

Most of the rinks have poor lighting, and the corners are more dark than some of the open parts of the rink, Thats my reason for sticking in Aperature.

If I were to go to full manual I would like to be in one of the rinks that is very evenly lit.

[littleman23408]

I checked out some of the pictures and I had a range of 1/160 to 1/500th of a second. They all were taken at iso 320. Next time I will do what it takes in manual mode to get 1/500th SS and see how they turn out.
Thanks guys.