How to gain access to the NHL

As most of you know, hockey arena dont allow pictures, and especially when you have a nice big camera. But i would love to get some good pictures of the senators. And i see photographers sitting right behind the glass with their own hole to shoot from.

How does when get access to do that, or how does one get permission to use a big camera with a big lens at the game?

"Pardon me sir, how do I get to Carnegie Hall?"

"Practice, practice, practice."

One gets hired to shoot by an acredited media outlet.

Paper, Website, Magazine, The Team, etc...

IOW, those guys/gals are working.

FlyingPhotog wrote in post #8735510
One gets hired to shoot by an acredited media outlet.

Paper, Website, Magazine, The Team, etc...

IOW, those guys/gals are working.

exactly....

silverturtle wrote in post #8735413
How does when get access to do that, or how does one get permission to use a big camera with a big lens at the game?

Getting a hole in the glass requires shooting for a living.

As for just shooting with a real camera, that varies from arena to arena so maybe you should consider a road trip. My current desktop picture was taken by an amateur in the stands using a D200 w/ Tokina 80-400mm: http://farm4.static.fl​ickr.com …3495284608_f081​3e1bcf.jpg

silverturtle wrote in post #8735413
As most of you know, hockey arena dont allow pictures, and especially when you have a nice big camera. But i would love to get some good pictures of the senators. And i see photographers sitting right behind the glass with their own hole to shoot from.

How does when get access to do that, or how does one get permission to use a big camera with a big lens at the game?

Just turn up at the gate and ask the security guard to speak to their director of PR or Media Relations...when they turn up, just say "Hi, I'm just a regular guy, I'm not shooting for any publication and I wont be able to sell my photos so you'll get no publicity, but I'd love to shoot the Senators...can I come in for free?"

Make sure you also take along a little saw so you can cut your own hole in the perspex.

jamesb84 wrote in post #8736199
Just turn up at the gate and ask the security guard to speak to their director of PR or Media Relations...when they turn up, just say "Hi, I'm just a regular guy, I'm not shooting for any publication and I wont be able to sell my photos so you'll get no publicity, but I'd love to shoot the Senators...can I come in for free?"

Make sure you also take along a little saw so you can cut your own hole in the perspex.

Priceless.

For the Dallas Stars games at the AAC they don't seem to have any issue with letting you bring a camera into the arena. I also bring my gear to the practice rinks. I can get real close during training camp and at practices. I can also get close at the pre-skate for games (they let you into the lower bowl for the pre-skate even if you tickets are elsewhere).

Here are a few pics from training camp & preseason this year:

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StimpyJCat wrote in post #8748535
For the Dallas Stars games at the AAC they don't seem to have any issue with letting you bring a camera into the arena. I also bring my gear to the practice rinks. I can get real close during training camp and at practices. I can also get close at the pre-skate for games (they let you into the lower bowl for the pre-skate even if you tickets are elsewhere).

Here are a few pics from training camp & preseason this year:

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Nice captures....i am defenitly have to try that one out!

VGP wrote in post #8748715
Nice captures....i am defenitly have to try that one out!

Thanks. Post pics if/when you do.

For anyone interested the rest of my pics from training camp/pre-season are here.

Some of you can be brutal

it has been my observation over the past year that working sports photogs are not big fans of regular people trying to get the same access as them. i understand, it is their living we are dealing with but at the same time, what if one is a great photographer, but does not work for a publication, and is not going to sell his images. just wants them for personal use? i shoot youth league football as a paid gig and i dont mind parents who speak to the director of the league to get sideline access, im confident in my shooting capabilities.

kauffman v36 wrote in post #8749562
it has been my observation over the past year that working sports photogs are not big fans of regular people trying to get the same access as them. i understand, it is their living we are dealing with but at the same time, what if one is a great photographer, but does not work for a publication, and is not going to sell his images. just wants them for personal use? i shoot youth league football as a paid gig and i dont mind parents who speak to the director of the league to get sideline access, im confident in my shooting capabilities.

see but that is a different story... in this case... there are few spots to shoot from.. sideline access is a very larger area to shoot from.. including both sides of the field... here there are usually only 4-8 spots for the entire rink... and if one photographer has to give up his spot for a fan/photographer who wants images just for himself, the photographer is giving up his pay... I see where you are coming from with this but it is a totally different game

ahh i understand. i live in Miami and while we have the Panthers, it is probably going to be over 90 degrees outside today so you can imagine hockey is not the most popular. in that case i understand. if there is limited space then by all means, pros first, ametuers if theres extra space.