djtravels Loc: Georgia boy now

I posted a shot of my first hockey game in the critique section and got some nice help. Maybe I can get more exposure here. For example, I was sitting at one end of the rink, behind a safety net. I wasn't using manual focus...too fast a game...but the players were in focus. In fact, of the 200+ shots I took that night, they were all in focus. SS at or above 1/500, lens wide open (85mm f/1.8), ISO 3-4000. Rink was well lit. WB auto. I shot in HS burst, limiting shot to 3-5 frames. Focus, back-button, AI mode = AI Servo when motion is detected. Other than getting closer to bring the viewer into play, what could I have done better? None of these camera settings were mentioned in the critique section. It was my very first hockey game.

Face Off--heavily cropped

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wayne-03 Loc: Minnesota

Kid's hockey is very challenging to photograph. The lighting appears bright to your eye but is actually very dim to your camera and is usually of a mixed source. I have several nephews and one grandson that play hockey, so I have lots of opportunities to photograph. Your first handicap, unless you have some means of getting into the players area or the announcers area is that you're shooting through a piece of Plexiglas that is full of scrapes and marks. I shoot with a Canon 7D and a Canon 70/200mm, f-2.8 lens. I white balance with an Expodisc (www.expodisc.com). I'm usually in aperture priority mode with the lens wide open (f-2.8). I adjust the ISO settings to keep my shutter speed at 1/500 or above. ISO generally range from 1600 to 6400. Auto focus is set at Al Servo with the center square active. These are my normal settings for kids hockey I hope they help you.

Wayne

f-2.8 - 1/1250 - ISO 1600

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djtravels Loc: Georgia boy now

Thanks for your contribution. My settings, although not Aperture Priority, are similar. Nice shot of your kids hockey. You can at least see the puck too.