Shooting from in-the-stands

CINCINNATI , Ohio- It’s July and it’s hot and sticky here in the Queen City. So, one of the last things on your mind should be taking pictures of your team’s best players. This is precisely why you should be reading about this

now while you have the time to absorb the information before training camp. The best prepared photographers have the greatest chance of nailing that “perfect” shot of their favorite player or game winning goal.
First off is equipment. Cameras vary among fans so if you are fortunate to have a DSLR ( Digital SLR ) with interchangeable lenses you are ahead of the curve. Your low end point & shoot will only be good for pix of players in static positions such as before face-offs. Good portrait shots can be achieved while the players are “still”. Make sure that you leave enough of a border aroundyour subject so that you don’t “cut off” parts of heads or feet unless the object of your picture is an extreme close up.
Patrons with High-end Point and Shoot cameras will fare a bit better due to adjustable features such as higher ISO settings to compensate for poor indoor lighting conditions. Better lens optics and zoom range come into play as well in giving more variety of possible shots. Be prepared for a certain amount of “noise” or grain in enlargements greater than 5 x 7 or 8 x 10. Higher mega pixel cameras with top shelf optics will reduce this problem greatly. Also camera models with built in high ISO noise reduction software will fare better in this area. ISO 800 to 1600 works best.
Digital SLR owners have the greatest chance for success in capturing the full range of action that the arena offers. Consumer level cameras are fully adjustable nowadays so skip the “sport” program and go to full manual with some tweaks of the settings. Your typical sport program is balanced for outdoors in sunny conditions and even then is only a middlin’ approximation of the settings needed to freeze the action.
Lenses make a big impact on your success in that the wider the maximum aperture the faster the shutter speed you can effectively use. “Fast” lenses such as the 50mm F 1.8 increase the ability to gather enough light and use enough shutter speed to create an acceptable exposure. Most zoom lensesthat come with the camera body have a variable maximum aperture and therefore are “slow” (apertures of 5.6 to 6.3) at the extreme zoom end. Working within the limits of your equipment means possibly using only the wide to medium range in your zoom. Adequate apertures of 3.5 to 4.0 are found at the wider end of the zoom range and when coupled with shutter speeds of 1/250^th to 1/500^th second result in players motion being frozen.
A steady camera is essential for sharp images- either by the use of a monopod or steady holding of the camera and lens to avoid “shake”. The longer the zoom range the more image stabilization is required. The general rule for hand holding a lens is, for example – 1/50^th sec or faster with a 50 mm lens or 1/300^th sec for a shot with the lens at 300mm. A monopod is a great tool for steadying any camera to get that tack sharp image you can be proud of.
If you’re sitting in the front row with the arena glass directly in front of you,  then a lens hood is an essential piece of gear to cut down on reflections in the glass. Rubber or soft hoods work better against the glass than hard plastic or metal hoods. Since most will be sitting further up in the arena my recommendation is to find a seat above the glass near the middle of the arena or nearer to the home goal. This allows you to avoid the distortion of the plexiglass and gives you a clearer shot of the action.
Technique must be practiced to be perfected. Several shooting strategies will help get you the shots you seek. PANNING or following the action is the most sure fire technique for capturing fast skating action. Pick a player or a pair of players and follow them up and down the rink snapping the shutter when the action is right. Be sure to anticipate open ice hits and checks into the boards to get the action at its’ peak. FOCUSING ON AN AREA such as the goalkeepers cage will get a lot of goal mouth action shots. Bouncing pucksand ricochets’ off of the net minder are always appreciated as are the shots of the puck going into the net.
FOLLOWING THE GOALTENDER usually results in some interesting shots and again a good deal of action. Goalies have some interesting habits that can be fun to record for posterity. Keep one eye in the viewfinder and one eye on the rest of the action to your left.       
WARM UP TIME is your time to practice your shooting technique before game time. Find that clean piece of glass or spot in the stands you scoped out and shoot away. Practice shooting horizontal as well as vertical compositions of the players skating , shooting and cutting up with team mates during this time. You can stand in line for food and drinks between warm-up ending and game time.
Pre-Game Ceremonies are a good opportunity to practice shooting the singers in the spotlights or the teams entering the ice. The team members in the single spotlight can make powerful images in black and white. Theceremonial puck drop often involves the opportunity to catch local celebrities or charity types in the spotlight as well.
GAME TIME is your time to shine. I shoot the opening face-off with a wide angle lens to capture all of the players’ first motions to the puck. On subsequent face-off opportunities I zoom in close to catch the drop of the puck or both sticks in contact with the puck. Anticipation of the action means paying close attention through the lens and an itchy trigger finger so you don’t miss that great shot. When there is action around the goal shoot several frames in rapid sequence to ensure that you capture the puck in mid air or entering the goal. Don’t forget about those post goal celebrations, shooting off the guns or re-sheathing the sword make for good memories.
Fighting is a part of the game and concentrating on the pugilists as the circle and engage phase takes place prepares you to catch the raw action of punches being thrown. I zoom in on the facial expressions of the combatants for pix with maximum impact if you catch my drift.
If you are sitting across from the players bench do remember to get some shots of the coaches directing traffic or giving the referee what for. Thesemoments often go unnoticed unless you pay attention for them. Players beating on the penalty box glass or arguing with the referee can be classic reminders of some of the frustrations of the contest. Don’t forget to look for your fellow fans in the stands as every arena has its’ colorfully dressed and accessorized team followers for comic relief.
With practice you can capture the action of this fascinating sport and have images that you will be proud to say “I took that one”. Contact the author/photographer at Rob.Huelsman@Prohockeynews.com