First time shooting hockey - tips?

So I'm 99% sure I scored passes to go shoot the local team this weekend. Other than my camera and lenses (obviously), a monopod, pen and a notepad, is there anything else I should be bringing? I want to go a good job as this could potentially lead to more.

Thanks all.

the flying moose wrote in post #16601053
So I'm 99% sure I scored passes to go shoot the local team this weekend. Other than my camera and lenses (obviously), a monopod, pen and a notepad, is there anything else I should be bringing? I want to go a good job as this could potentially lead to more.

Thanks all.

Don't be surprised if the monopod has little or no use. Hockey is a relentlessly dynamic sport, and monopods are most useful in situations where subjects are nearly stationary or have little lateral motion.

At first, you'll face a major challenge of just getting the action cleanly in frame. Hockey's action is fast and quick, with many sudden changes in direction.

Your shooting location also may offer challenges. If you need to shoot through rink side glass, you'll find that it's hard to find glass that is clean. If you're not lucky enough to be at a rink that has photo holes, you may need to take the considerable physical risk of photographing from an open area such as a team bench. You'll need to decide whether the chance of serious injury is worth the risk.

You'll learn that hockey's constant action means there is no single "best" lens. At one instant, a wide-angle lens will be needed for close action, then that action will fly away and a telephoto lens will be needed. The action is so fast that a 70-200mm f/2.8 lens is only a compromise.

The most difficult technical aspect is exposure. The white ice and dasher boards mean any attempt toward conventional in-camera metering will lead to underexposure. You'll need to select a single set of manual settings; this is a sport where the accuracy of an incident meter reading from a separate meter is very useful.

Don't be surprised if it takes you a game or two to get used to hockey's rapid action. Only time at an actual game can prepare you for what you will experience.

DC Fan wrote in post #16601285
Don't be surprised if the monopod has little or no use. Hockey is a relentlessly dynamic sport, and monopods are most useful in situations where subjects are nearly stationary or have little lateral motion.

At first, you'll face a major challenge of just getting the action cleanly in frame. Hockey's action is fast and quick, with many sudden changes in direction.

Your shooting location also may offer challenges. If you need to shoot through rink side glass, you'll find that it's hard to find glass that is clean. If you're not lucky enough to be at a rink that has photo holes, you may need to take the considerable physical risk of photographing from an open area such as a team bench. You'll need to decide whether the chance of serious injury is worth the risk.

You'll learn that hockey's constant action means there is no single "best" lens. At one instant, a wide-angle lens will be needed for close action, then that action will fly away and a telephoto lens will be needed. The action is so fast that a 70-200mm f/2.8 lens is only a compromise.

The most difficult technical aspect is exposure. The white ice and dasher boards mean any attempt toward conventional in-camera metering will lead to underexposure. You'll need to select a single set of manual settings; this is a sport where the accuracy of an incident meter reading from a separate meter is very useful.

Don't be surprised if it takes you a game or two to get used to hockey's rapid action. Only time at an actual game can prepare you for what you will experience.

Thanks for your input. I'm expecting the best but preparing for the worst so to speak. I plan on going in at least a couple times before to dial in settings and such for exposure and white balance. I do play hockey too so I hope that helps a little bit in the fact that I can read plays a little better. We shall see though.

Sorry I missed this thread or I would have thrown in a few items. Let us know how your shoot went, and toss in a few images. With the EXIF and your shots, we should be able to give you some more help.

deveraux wrote in post #16613996
Sorry I missed this thread or I would have thrown in a few items. Let us know how your shoot went, and toss in a few images. With the EXIF and your shots, we should be able to give you some more help.

Just going over the final check of my gear and getting ready to head out in about an hour. I'll try and post up pics in the next couple days if I am allowed to post what I take as I am there shooting for a local magazine.

The "best" lens is the 70-200 2.8. I use the 17-55 2.8 for close action on the other body. Let us know how you did.

How did the shots turn out?

Here is the end result of the ones I can post.
https://photography-on-the.net …/showthread.php​?t=1360777

I'm sorry - I didn't see your response. I would trade my firstborn for clean glass like that. Nice shots there.

RangeMan wrote in post #16757039
I'm sorry - I didn't see your response. I would trade my firstborn for clean glass like that. Nice shots there.

Thanks a lot. They turned out better than I thought. The glass doesn't look clean but luckily the spots you could see didn't show up in the photos. Plus I pretty much could shoot wherever I chose so I could find the better spots of glass.