Hockey, 2011.11.22 - Tulsa Oilers v Arizona Sundogs

[les_stockton]

Full photo set at: 2011.11.22 - Tulsa Oilers v Arizona Sundogs - a set on Flickr



ZK22_20085503_800x533



ZK22_20112101_800x533



ZK22_20154501_800x533

 

[Destin]

# 2 is the strongest, however I wish it was taken just a split second earlier, but that's wayy easier said than done lol. Good job getting a proper exposure, that can be tough with the hot spots on the ice. My only nitpick is that I'd like to see them shot from a lower angle, and tighter in on the action, perhaps in portrait orientation.

 

[les_stockton]

I tried cropping to portrait. It didn't fit right.

 

[Destin]

I tried cropping to portrait. It didn't fit right.

I'd never crop to portrait, especially on shots from the side and a high angle. If you could get down to ice level at the corner of the rink, your shots would greatly improve. Shooting sports is 90% about having access to the positions that allow you to produce goid images. It doesn't matter if you have the best gear and all the skill in the world, without proper access, you're pretty restricted as to what you'll be able to achieve. That being said, these shots are as good as they could be for where you were shooting from!

 

[les_stockton]

I have floor access. I just wanted to shoot from a different location for a change. and I didn't want to shoot through the glass. Most of the time, I shoot from a spot between the two benches, which has no glass.

 

[imagemaker46]

Not your best series, although the action is there, it is a little late and there aren't enough faces.

 

[imagemaker46]

I tried cropping to portrait. It didn't fit right.

I'd never crop to portrait, especially on shots from the side and a high angle. If you could get down to ice level at the corner of the rink, your shots would greatly improve. Shooting sports is 90% about having access to the positions that allow you to produce goid images. It doesn't matter if you have the best gear and all the skill in the world, without proper access, you're pretty restricted as to what you'll be able to achieve. That being said, these shots are as good as they could be for where you were shooting from!

Looking at the empty seats in the background I don't think access to an ice level spot would be difficult for anyone with a camera, and if les is shooting from the angle he's at I'm guessing that there really aren't too many problems shooting from anywhere during these games, apart from the players benches, and the space inbetween, it also looks like the glass isn't tinted and in pretty good shape, so shooting through it wouldn't be a problem.

 

[les_stockton]

when I can, I avoid shooting through the glass.

 

[Destin]

when I can, I avoid shooting through the glass.

Which is understandable. That's what photo holes in the glass are for

 

[les_stockton]

No photo holes in this arena. I'd love it if they had them, because other than the glass, I like shooting in the corners.

 

[imagemaker46]

No photo holes in this arena. I'd love it if they had them, because other than the glass, I like shooting in the corners.

Unless it's old and distorted, shooting through the glass shouldn't be a problem at all. The negative affect on the overall quality of images is minor. If the glass is marked up with tape and puck scuffs, you can use a safety blade to scrape it clean enough to use.

 

[les_stockton]

I sometimes use glass cleaner and a towel and walk onto the ice between periods and try to clean a spot on the glass that I might want to use.
For some reason, there's only one pane of glass in one corner that doesn't have much distortion. The others, you can't shoot even the slightest angle without problems.
I'm spoiled not shooting through glass, and so I avoid it if I can.

 

[Destin]

I sometimes use glass cleaner and a towel and walk onto the ice between periods and try to clean a spot on the glass that I might want to use.
For some reason, there's only one pane of glass in one corner that doesn't have much distortion. The others, you can't shoot even the slightest angle without problems.
I'm spoiled not shooting through glass, and so I avoid it if I can.

Have you tried shooting a wider aperture and getting your lens RIGHT UP to the glass?

 

[les_stockton]

I use f/4. I really can't go faster without dropping shutter speed. If going through the glass, I almost always shoot up against the glass. You just can't shoot angles through the glass very well.

 

[imagemaker46]

That's usually the problem on the angles, I shoot a lot straight down the ice with the 300 2.8 and as it's a flat, there isn't usually distortion. I shot in a rink back in february out of town, and it was the worst glass i've ever seen, even looking through it without the camera you could see the waves. i ended up having to shoot everything from high, or through the mesh, which worked out pretty well.