[Leica] Ice hockey shots, wide open

[tedgrant at shaw.ca (Ted Grant)]

Jim McIntyre showed:
Subject: Re: [Leica] Ice hockey shots, wide open

>Shooting hockey, or any sports is a challenge. I've tried with my SLR and a 
>longer lens to capture the action of my son's playing
>> (http://www.igs.net/~blades/orleans05.jpg). Since the lighting in rinks 
>> is
>> usually poor, I used Delta 3200 for this shot.<<<<<

Hi Jim,

Now that's what hockey photography is all about! Action with puck! And 
although on a previous post I said the best spot to shoot hockey was at ice 
level, it still is, quite often, certainly covering the NHL and some junior 
leagues one can't get in that position due to seating of spectators.

As you've shown here a higher angle will work as well, preferably not too 
high. But obvously from this positon the shooter requires a longer lens than 
a 50.

But some of the no bad shoot positions are at a spot in the arena so you 
shoot on about a 45 degree angle from a higher floor level at about the 
centre of the arena. Why?

Well with the right equipment it means you are equal distance from either 
goalie and can shoot goal scoring action at either end. Obviously using a 
300 2.8 or something in that range. Even a 400 is manageable.

But hockey is the action with the puck and goal scoring, forget the fighting 
crap that's for the lower class mentally challenged people with nothing more 
on their minds than "fighting violence is hockey." And not the finesse, 
speed and accuracy of a well developed highly talented stick handler who can 
zip in quickly, let one go at the goalie and it's in the net before he 
realizes it's there.  That's hockey. ;-)

When I'm asked to judge sports pictures for the National Press awards the 
first thing I have done is....... throw out all the hockey fight pictures! 
Then we settle down to "real action" of playing hockey.

ted