Shooting Portraits on ice, lighting question

[JAZZ D.P.G.]

I've been asked to do "still action" and headshots for a local youths hockey league. Yes, hockey does go on without the NHL :)

I've shot action at hockey, and basically taken the lighting as I've found it.

I'm looking for tips on handling flash and lighting for these portraits, see if I can improve on the normal reflection off the ice.

These shots are being used for making hockey cards as gifts from the kids for Christmas, and I have a print and graphic supplier that wants me to pick up his local shooting.

Setup and shoot is being paid up front for a decent market rate, with printing and delivery of photos being handled by the printer.

I just want to make it the best possible.

Any assistance would be appreciated.

[NGrinerPhoto]

If you can't set up studio lights, use your on camera flash with a bracket. Go for a longer focal length than wider (i.e. 50mm+). Take a meter reading of the ambient light. Try and match that with your flashed shutter speed and aperture (so the background doesn't go black). Don't go below 1/60. On a D60, I wouldn't shoot any faster than 400 ISO. If you can, use some sort of kicker light with your on camera flash to fill the background if it's to dark.

[JAZZ D.P.G.]

Thanks NGrinerPhoto,

I was afraid about the studio setup, but it looks like it will be close to that :(

I'm not too worried about the background, as I will be shooting center-ice, red and blue line, to avoid the flash return from the glass on the side. This will leave lots of room for depth of field and I can leave the shutter speed quite slow. The only acception being the goalie who will be shot in the net (no pun intended :P )

Metering, off-camera flash and timing are great tips, and I thank you.

I'll just have to practice off-ice in the local arena before shooting this one, ice time is hard to get and I don't want to lose too much of their practice time.

Thanks again.