Helping with sports photograhy.

[NBach]

Hey guys!

Photography has always been one of my major hobbies and recently, I have been employed this site to take photos for their other blogs. They are all related to the ice hockey sport.

It's more of an opportunity for me to broaden my horizons. I have a bit of experience in photography, but when it comes to shooting fast moving object, I lack a bit of skill.

So if you guys could help me out with this, I would be really grateful to you!

Thank you have a good day.

[Nicks Pics]

From what little thinking I have done recently about indoor action photography I have concluded that a zoom telephoto lens (to give you flexibility in the case of subjects being farther or closer) bright (2.8) lens would be very useful. There are lots of 70 - 200 mm 2.8 lenses, if that wouldn't be long enough, Sigma makes a 120-300 2.8. Expensive, but you could rent until you are confident it will be worth the investment. I have no experience shooting in such conditions, but these are some ideas

[Saorsa]

200mm should be fine at f2.8. Remember the nikkor 180mm f2.8 was designed to be an indoor sport lens because 200mm was a little too long.

[NBach]

Well, thanks for the reply, mate! I will definitely look into it. ~

[rpcrowe]

I am assuming that these people want some sports action shots. If this is the case, please read on. Photographic skill, of course, is absolutely necessary in shooting any type of sports.

However, there are also two other parameters in shooting sports:

1. Knowledge of sports itself so you can guess in advance where and when the action will take place...

2. Camera and lens that is up to shooting sports... This includes having a fast and accurate auto-focus system as well as a lens with decent quality at a wide aperture. The wide aperture is needed to keep your shutter speed up high enough to stop action. There are different levels of lighting in various ice/hockey rinks.

If the organization's needs are restricted to trophy awards, posed shots of the players, etc.; just about any camera/lens will fulfill those needs. The photographic skills are not as stringent for this type of shooting.

I would advise you to peruse the type of blogs that you will be shooting for. That way you may get a better idea of the needs for equipment/skill...

Additionally, do a Google search with this as your search parameter: "photography tips for shooting hockey" you will get a lot of hits and some interesting reading...

BTW: IMO, probably a 70-200mm f/2.8 zoom lens (of any good brand) would be a basic tool for this type of shooting. I prefer a good quality zoom lens that captures high quality imagery wide open over a prime lens for sports shooting...

[Manfred M]

Hey guys!

Photography has always been one of my major hobbies and recently, I have been employed this site to take photos for their other blogs. They are all related to the ice hockey sport.

It's more of an opportunity for me to broaden my horizons. I have a bit of experience in photography, but when it comes to shooting fast moving object, I lack a bit of skill.

So if you guys could help me out with this, I would be really grateful to you!

Thank you have a good day.

Welcome to CiC. Would you mind completing at least your name and location in your profile? We tend to be a pretty informal bunch here at CiC and go on a first name basis. The "My Profile" button on the top of the page will get you to the area of the website where this information can be entered.

You are going to have to give us a bit more to work on. What kind of pictures are you expected to take (I did have a quick look at the website you will be supporting), how often you will be shooting, a bit of information on your equipment / tools and your photographic skill level (shooting and post-processing) would be important too.

I've spent a fair bit of time in ice hockey rinks in the past, both as a spectator and as a referee, so I know the conditions you would be working under for any action shots all too well; but I am not a sports photographer, so I can't deal with any super specific details.

You say you lack skill in tracking fast moving subjects. I see that as a problem, as hockey is a very fast game. You are going to need some practice and know how to set up your camera for fast motion tracking and focus.

Don't even think about trying to shoot through the glass, you will need to work in an area where you can get an unrestricted view of the ice surface. Serious hockey shooters that I have spoken to tend to use a two camera setup one with a long, fast zoom lens and one with a fast medium zoom lens. They switch cameras as action gets closer to them and moves further away.

[Shadowman]

Will you be shooting through the wormhole? If so, you might want to get yourself a rolling stool.

[Saorsa]

How well do you know the sport? Have you played hockey? A long time ago, I shot a lot of sports. It was so long ago that I was shooting it with a 4x5 Speed Graphic Camera. Putting slides in, changing or flipping holders, pulling slides out, framing and shooting meant about 2 frames per minute for a shooting rate.

If you know a sport and the team, it is possible to get into the rhythm of the action and get some surprisingly good shots. If you don't hve that knowledge you will always be chasing the image not capturing it.

Here are a couple shots from the old school.







If you haven't played the sport, go to practices and practice shooting for yourself. If you know the teams, you will know who they will be trying to get the puck to for the money shot.

[William W]

If you want general advice, then it is best if you list:

A) what skills and experience that you do have
B) what gear you presently have to use

***

. . . I have a bit of experience in photography, but when it comes to shooting fast moving object, I lack a bit of skill. So if you guys could help me out with this . . .

Specifically addressing this question: in addition to Basic Photographic Skill, Experience and Theory Knowledge the essential / highly preferred ingredients comprising up to date Digital Gear for you to get good experience and develop a skill base in this particular Genre of Photography (and assuming Flash is Prohibited), are:

DSLR (two is highly desirable)
Lens and camera to have fast and accurate AF
AI tracking or similar is now probably "essential"
Very Fast Lens Speed (Maximum Aperture) and /or Good Quality High ISO, at least one is essential, both are highly preferred
Zoom lens(es) is(are) highly preferred for a single Photographer's coverage of close quarters sports: Ice Hockey is "close quarters"
Higher speed frame rate is very desirable, though not essential and arguably better to initially learn technique without it

Also:
Ability to get good camera viewpoint and or roam (e.g. access to press pass, etc) is essential.

It is difficult to discuss any of the nuances of technique, without knowing the specific gear, which we are discussing.

WW