This weekends College Hockey

[winger]

Photos from this friday's game. I spent two periods in the box that is set up for photographers between the players benches. Different perspective and I seemed to struggle a bit catching the transition game ( I usually shoot from the ends) I also notice anytime I go to an away arena I also seem to struggle with colors. These ones ended up warmer, the last arena I went up to they ended up cooler.

Either way enjoy.

[rutt]

I think you are doiing very well. It takes me a long time to figure out how to seach each new sport I try and I think hokey is particularly difficult due to fast action and restrictions about where you can stand and lighting.

I'd consider using LAB curves to get the ice to be the right color (bluish white?) and open up the shadows a little.

[ian408]

Nice series. I especially like the two D in front of the UMass net
and the last slap shot.

Color looks ok. There are a couple of shots where the ice looks a little OE.

Ian

[DoctorIt]

Winger, your shots get better all the time!

I know you've been struggling with the WB - I hadn't thought of suggesting exactly what Rutt just did. I can show you if you want, very useful, pretty quick and dirty too.

[blackwaterstudio]

Looking alot better, I have to shoot two games this week, Friday and Saturday.

I'm hoping to have my new 20D body by then to use.

[Steve Cavigliano]

These look good. A tough sport to shoot and you are getting better at it

I agree with all the above. The ice looks oe'd in some frames and in some pics it has a yellow tint to it. In a few of them the shadows are pretty deep. Maybe you could sacrifice some contrast and open them up a bit. The color in most of them is very good (the white jerseys are a bit bright in one, or two frames).

How lucky you are to have hockey to shoot

Nice job and keep up the good work!!

Steve

[winger]

Well I white balance off the home jerseys. And to be honest I like the contrast it gives from the jerseys to the ice. But like I said it seems like when I go to away barns the colors are either too warm or too cold.

Maybe I can wander up to your office and you can show me curves (because we know how PS a phopic I am). But is that something I can do in a batch too? I mean I can set the color temp in camera, so how do I figure out how to do that before the game.
Lowell was tough because they didnt turn on all the light until the opening face off too, and the place where I stood for two periods was nice, but I did have to contend with line changes too.

This weekend I should get at least two periods in the vistor PB (first time doing it at the home rink) but I will only have one bench to contend with on line changes as the home bench (I know it doesnt make sense, vistor bench and PB boxes on same side, but its a long no photo related story) is on the other side.

I think I am going to go shoot some DIII hockey today, nice dank Orr rink.

[davev]

Originally Posted by winger

Photos from this friday's game. I spent two periods in the box that is set up for photographers between the players benches. Different perspective and I seemed to struggle a bit catching the transition game ( I usually shoot from the ends) I also notice anytime I go to an away arena I also seem to struggle with colors. These ones ended up warmer, the last arena I went up to they ended up cooler.

Either way enjoy.

More good hockey pics winger.

Have you tried to WB off of the ice? If that's the area that your having troubles
with, isn't that what you should be trying to compensate for?
I don't know, just throwing out an idea.

Two more questions.
1) How can there be empty seats there with no NHL?
2) Who won the game?

dave.

[winger]

Originally Posted by davev

More good hockey pics winger.

Have you tried to WB off of the ice? If that's the area that your having troubles
with, isn't that what you should be trying to compensate for?
I don't know, just throwing out an idea.

Two more questions.
1) How can there be empty seats there with no NHL?
2) Who won the game?

dave.

Well college hockey in NE has always been a tough draw with so much other hockey in the area. I mean the AHL has a whole division of New England teams (well they used to I think they recently broke it up). This game was actually in a AHL arena, where the Lockmonsters also play. But the rink isnt on the university campus, its in between semesters and lowell doesnt tend to draw well anyways.

Winner of the game, I didnt get my birthday wish, Umass Lowell Beath Umass (amherst we are the flagship of the university system and usually dont have to add amherst to the end of the name). There was a bad face off, 4 on 3 in the umass defenesive zone, where the ref just dropped it. Neither center was in the face off (and neither bench was warned about delay of game which is how that rule is supposed to work) so the lowell center picked it up and snapped it in because no one was ready. 17 seconds later lowell scores another one, and the game ends up 4-3.
Makes me sad cause I have watched this team a long time and they have struggled with winning in the past, but this team right now is too talented to be under 500.


As for WB. I white balance off the jerseys because well I would rather they be the pure white. And then I use the partial metering mode, so it doesnt throw stuff off so much. But for the mullins (umass amherst home rink) im so comfortable in there i really dont have to set stuff up, I know what the settings are and I can just go, its only when i experiment with stuff that I have to run some tests shots.
It's the away barns I have a problem with. I know I can compensate the color on the 20d, there is a grid so it just knowing which way to go. I could run test shots during warm ups and then run up to my laptop too see what they look like.
I have had a friend suggest a gray card. Maybe I will try that for one game this weekend (we have two at home against maine)

[ian408]

Originally Posted by winger

Well college hockey in NE has always been a tough draw with so much other hockey in the area. I mean the AHL has a whole division of New England teams (well they used to I think they recently broke it up). This game was actually in a AHL arena, where the Lockmonsters also play. But the rink isnt on the university campus, its in between semesters and lowell doesnt tend to draw well anyways.

Winner of the game, I didnt get my birthday wish, Umass Lowell Beath Umass (amherst we are the flagship of the university system and usually dont have to add amherst to the end of the name). There was a bad face off, 4 on 3 in the umass defenesive zone, where the ref just dropped it. Neither center was in the face off (and neither bench was warned about delay of game which is how that rule is supposed to work) so the lowell center picked it up and snapped it in because no one was ready. 17 seconds later lowell scores another one, and the game ends up 4-3.
Makes me sad cause I have watched this team a long time and they have struggled with winning in the past, but this team right now is too talented to be under 500.


As for WB. I white balance off the jerseys because well I would rather they be the pure white. And then I use the partial metering mode, so it doesnt throw stuff off so much. But for the mullins (umass amherst home rink) im so comfortable in there i really dont have to set stuff up, I know what the settings are and I can just go, its only when i experiment with stuff that I have to run some tests shots.
It's the away barns I have a problem with. I know I can compensate the color on the 20d, there is a grid so it just knowing which way to go. I could run test shots during warm ups and then run up to my laptop too see what they look like.
I have had a friend suggest a gray card. Maybe I will try that for one game this weekend (we have two at home against maine)

A rink is a rink is a rink (well, the referee's room is always in a different
place). Anyway, the hardest part is probably the lighting. If you take a
grey card, expodisc or use the coffee filter method, you should always
get nicely balanced shots regardless of the arena.

Look forward to the home games!


Ian

[winger]

So for those of you who dont know me, I have a hockey problem. And it being break and i have no classes and only work to worry about I have some extra time on my hands.
So yesterday I went over to Amherst College for some DIII action:



Well that is some from the women's game, I am still loading up the Men's game to my smugmug account. This rink is alot darking than the Mullins Center (Umass's home rink) but proably better lit than most public arenas. Small rink on a small private university campus. I noticed that the lights would cycle, and would do weird things to the colors of my photos depending on what part of the cycle they were on. It almost looked like i got strobed a couple of times.

[DoctorIt]

wow, those shots near the goal could be some of the sharpest hockey shots I've ever seen from you, especially the very first and last ones above! excellent work

is the lighting there better? seems a little bit...

[winger]

Originally Posted by DoctorIt

wow, those shots near the goal could be some of the sharpest hockey shots I've ever seen from you, especially the very first and last ones above! excellent work

is the lighting there better? seems a little bit...

No the lighting there was actually worse. But I shot from the stands, then again the stands were not very high maybe 8-10 rows. Where as at the mullins I have to go like 24 rows up before I get to an open space. And hockey sells enough tickets that I cant just park myself in an open space in the stands because there really isnt any.

Maybe I should try the 200 with the teleconverter from the stands again. I will lose the stop but who knows. The autofocus on it was just so slow the time I used it.

[DoctorIt]

Originally Posted by winger

No the lighting there was actually worse. But I shot from the stands, then again the stands were not very high maybe 8-10 rows. Where as at the mullins I have to go like 24 rows up before I get to an open space. And hockey sells enough tickets that I cant just park myself in an open space in the stands because there really isnt any.

Maybe I should try the 200 with the teleconverter from the stands again. I will lose the stop but who knows. The autofocus on it was just so slow the time I used it.

Oh quit whining and just buy the 400mm

[winger]

Originally Posted by DoctorIt

Oh quit whining and just buy the 400mm

I can afford it damn it. Maybe if I start getting friendly with Tony he would let me play with his big lens for a period or two. Its either a 200 zoom that goes down to 1.8 or 300/400
the hood on its enormous.

Althought I have been talking to someone who has been using a sigma 300, he shot the World Junior Hockey tournment with it, so it can be that bad.

Eric next time I see remind me that I may need you to help me with another photo job I am proably going to do, but I would need help with the post work. :)

[ian408]

Originally Posted by winger

I can afford it damn it. Maybe if I start getting friendly with Tony he would let me play with his big lens for a period or two. Its either a 200 zoom that goes down to 1.8 or 300/400
the hood on its enormous.

Althought I have been talking to someone who has been using a sigma 300, he shot the World Junior Hockey tournment with it, so it can be that bad.

Eric next time I see remind me that I may need you to help me with another photo job I am proably going to do, but I would need help with the post work. :)

Was your buddy using the 300 alone or shooting with multiple cameras?
Having the zoom is pretty handy (70-200). Of course you can't reach the
other end's goalie either.

ian

[winger]

Originally Posted by ian408

Was your buddy using the 300 alone or shooting with multiple cameras?
Having the zoom is pretty handy (70-200). Of course you can't reach the
other end's goalie either.

ian

He has two but he is after all the AP photographer. And now that I think of it one of his lens is the 70-200, so the other one must be a 300 or 400.

[ian408]

Originally Posted by winger

He has two but he is after all the AP photographer. And now that I think of it one of his lens is the 70-200, so the other one must be a 300 or 400.

I don't know what I'd use. I'm guessing that 500 is way too much lens
so I'd guess 300?

Lucky guy. I hear tickets were gone a day or so after they went on sale
(not surprising).

Ian

[winger]

Originally Posted by ian408

I don't know what I'd use. I'm guessing that 500 is way too much lens
so I'd guess 300?

Lucky guy. I hear tickets were gone a day or so after they went on sale
(not surprising).

Ian

For umass hockey....I doubt it the team has only sold out one game in school history. And even hoops is still an easy ticket to get (althought the last game the photographers were getting a little cozy on the base line, so I just took my shorter lens and moved to the hoop). He also has strobes set up so he can do alot more and not have to worry about available light. There is another photographer set up with strobes there too but luckiley with the two of them i dont get strobed too often.

[DoctorIt]

Originally Posted by winger

Eric next time I see remind me that I may need you to help me with another photo job I am proably going to do, but I would need help with the post work. :)

what's in it for me???




I'm joking, of course I'll give you a hand.