Hockey Photography

Fast. The single word that describes everything that makes up hockey photography. Fast lens, fast shutter speed, high speed iso, all to capture fast players, making fast plays, in the blink of an eye. Slow reaction time, use a slow lens, and slow shutter, and you'll miss it all in a blurry haze. Being in the right spot at the right time can make or break your photos, but making the best out of available spots can separate your from the pack. I like to be at ice level, even if it means shooting through nasty arena glass. I want my photos to look like I'm on the ice.

With hockey I find it sometimes effective to compose the shot while anticipating the action and let the shots come to me instead of tracking the play. This works well for plays close to the net, and takes away the need to track the subject where the potential for missing the peak moment of impact can occur. What's the peak moment of impact? It's the curve in a players stick just as the puck is being released, the water bottle flying off the back of the net as a goal is scored, snow flying in the air as the players crash a goalies crease, or a crushing open ice body check. These types of photos when captured at their pinnacle moment have a tremendous amount of impact.
At the same time, tracking the play and producing a sharp and focused image while panning your camera with the action can be quite satisfying.

As I write this, I'm currently working with stutommies.com, a non-profit website dedicated to the St Thomas Tommies in Fredericton NB.Why do I do it? It's simple. I love the game of hockey and I'm a photographer. From the days of beating a snowy path in -20 degree celsius weather just to find a scrap of ice, to sitting in the stands at the bell centre watching Sidney Crosby, I have had an on going passion for the game for as long as I can remember. Taking my photography from the wedding chapel and to the ice was an easy choice. I basically said one day, "I want to photograph hockey, I want to one day shoot for the pros", and that's what I did, well not shoot for the pros (yet) Sounds funny, and simple but that's how it happened. It's easy to have a desire to do something, following through with it is different, if you want something you need to go after it. I'm going after it. After shooting my first St Thomas tommies game, one of my photos was picked up stutommies.com, thanks to a twitter post I made, and I've been attending the games and have had my images published since. I've also had the opportunity to gain access to the national champions UNB VReds games, thanks to a connection in the industry, something I'm extremely grateful for. CIS nationals are being held in Fredericton this year, where I plan to be shooting rink side.

It's been an amazing experience, I've seen a lot of hockey over the last few months, it's keeping me sharp for the upcoming wedding season, and i'm really loving every minute of it.