Any tips for Hockey

redmonkee

redmonkee

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Might be doing my first ladies Hockey game this weekend or next and just wondered if any of you guys have any tips for shooting this sport.

I'm pretty sure all the basics that apply to football will apply, though I'm a little unsure of the rules.

Also if you guys have any pics I'd love to see em.

Cheers

Phil
 
Hi. I tried my hand at some men's hockey on an all-weather pitch last winter. They had some good floodlights (better than the football ground!). Keep your eye on the ball, if it heads your way it can do serious damage!
 
Hi Phil

Plenty of hockey photos on my website.

My usual position is on the sideline, roughly in line with the top of the circle. Alternative is at the end, 2 or 3 yards in from the corner flag. If you go to what's the left wing for the attacking side then the umpire is on the opposite side and getting in your way less. However, from that side I think the players face you less.

The light reflecting off astroturf is often horrible and throws the metering out, especialy on a water based pitch, so you've got to keep an eye on exposure. Backgrounds are usually horrible, with spare goalposts and chain link fences close by, so that might influence your positioning.

I haven't shot any football, but I think it's probably similar. The ball will move a good bit faster though, even in a ladies game. When things get frantic in the goalmouth I usually resort to focussing on the goalkeeper (I hate goalies who wear black shirts!).

Oh, and remember, hockey balls are very hard. As Carol says, watch out when play gets too close.....
 
Photodiva said:
Hi. I tried my hand at some men's hockey on an all-weather pitch last winter. They had some good floodlights (better than the football ground!). Keep your eye on the ball, if it heads your way it can do serious damage!
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I'm a little worried by that :gag:, where did you position yourself. At footy I sit behind the goal line, not sure if it's too dangerous at Hockey lol
 
redmonkee said:
I'm a little worried by that :gag:, where did you position yourself. At footy I sit behind the goal line, not sure if it's too dangerous at Hockey lol
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Do not sit behind the goal line :thumbsdown: I'm an umpire and it's just too dangerous for you and your equipment ;) You'll be ok moving pretty much anywhere else round the pitch, so don't tie yourself to one location if you don't have to though.
Unlike football, there are 2 umpires in hockey taking (effectively) half the pitch each. Umpires usually run on the pitch but if the ball is in their half they may need to head off pitch to keep pace with play, so be wary of that when you're taking pics as they'll be watching the action rather than spectators on the sidelines.
Floodlights don't usually come into play unless absolutely necessary but you'll get a lot more glare off a water-based pitch than a sand-based one.
Anyway, hockey is fast and furious and involves 22 people running around with 3-foot sticks, so it can get hairy ;)
 
duncolm said:
Hi Phil

Plenty of hockey photos on my website.

My usual position is on the sideline, roughly in line with the top of the circle. Alternative is at the end, 2 or 3 yards in from the corner flag. If you go to what's the left wing for the attacking side then the umpire is on the opposite side and getting in your way less. However, from that side I think the players face you less.

The light reflecting off astroturf is often horrible and throws the metering out, especialy on a water based pitch, so you've got to keep an eye on exposure. Backgrounds are usually horrible, with spare goalposts and chain link fences close by, so that might influence your positioning.
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Hi Duncan

You've got some great shots on your website. I'll be shooting on a sand based astro turf so the metering shouldn't be a problem. I'd imagine all camera settings will be the same as what I use when shooting footy so that shouldn't be a problem.

Not sure what you mean by left wing though :thinking:

I think i'll sit on the sideline that way I can get good shots of the goal mouth action.

Can I ask what lens you use. I was thinking of two bodies one with the 300 2.8 and the other with a 135 f2, what do you think?
 
bigfub said:
Do not sit behind the goal line :thumbsdown: I'm an umpire and it's just too dangerous for you and your equipment ;) You'll be ok moving pretty much anywhere else round the pitch, so don't tie yourself to one location if you don't have to though.
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Cheers Stuart I'll bear that in mind, however regarding my position I tend to stay sat in one spot and wait for the action to come to me. If I move around I feel i'll miss the action. The big tip is not to chase the action when photographing sports.
 
redmonkee said:
I'm a little worried by that :gag:, where did you position yourself. At footy I sit behind the goal line, not sure if it's too dangerous at Hockey lol
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Hi. As has been said, the 'usual' place for footie is probably not a good option with hockey! At the pitch I went to there was precious little room behind the goals, virtually up against the wire fencing. The side of the pitch offered more room. I tended to move up and down the side a bit, just for a change of view as much as anything else. Not only that, but rather like the local rugby, there are a lot of people milling around on the edge of the pitch getting in your way! I guess it depends on the level the team plays at, I went to local league matches. This thread made me think about a revisit, on the weekends when the footie is not playing on Saturday afternoons. The sun sets strongly from one end of the pitch, so if there's any daylight it can be challenging.
From my .mac gallery, for you to look at and crit! It was too blinkin cold to sit on the floor, so I knelt or crouched for some of these, others were from standing (oh, mortal sin). Still, the club liked them. I hope to get better shots perhaps if I can go again.
http://gallery.me.com/photodivauk#100976

(note, flip, in the space of time between editing and trying to find my gallery url, I got logged out!)
 
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AFC said:
Carol, he did say it was women's hockey, and us men are not like you women....:lol:
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Hey, I'm a hockey goalkeeper.... and believe you me, some girls can really hit it ****dy hard. Won't go into detail but if a ball misses the padding it can flippin hurt LOL.

Some ideas for shots:
At penalty corners (also called short corners) - side on to goal so you capture the defenders looking in your direction waiting for it to be taken (so position yourself at the other side to the attacking forward say looking straight down the back line or somewhere around the 'long corner' marker). If a defender is stood on the inside of the post they may appear to be peeping around it.

If you stand on the side line, also look at the player who actually 'pushes' the ball out. They will place the ball on the back line, lunge forward (often with their foot pointing in the direction of the player who will receive the ball so that may also give you a clue as to who is going to receive it if it is not obvious), position their stick behind the ball, look to where they're pushing it to and then 'push' or hit it out. Often pushed for more accuracy.

Also at shorts, if an attacking forward is knelt down at the top of the 'D' with their stick along the ground, they will usually stop the ball for another attacker to take a straight strike or 'slip' it elsewhere.

If you want tight shots of the end of the stick and the ball then get to ground level for a closer to the action shot. I would take most shots from kneeling level or below anyway. Standing, especially if you are taller than the girls, in my opinion, will not as good results wise.

A lot of teams have their half time talk inside the goals. Some pitches are heavily sprayed with water (usually National League level) or are just very wet obviously following rain. If you shoot tight then you could capture some of the spray.

Have fun. It is a fast sport so keep one eye on the game (as well as concentrating on the shots) so you don't get hit or get in either the umpire or a players way - both can be running off the pitch.

PS - Also, check out of courtesy from both captains that they do not object to you taking photos.
 
sazzle said:
Hey, I'm a hockey goalkeeper.... and believe you me, some girls can really hit it ****dy hard. Won't go into detail but if a ball misses the padding it can flippin hurt LOL.

Some ideas for shots:
At penalty corners (also called short corners) - side on to goal so you capture the defenders looking in your direction waiting for it to be taken (so position yourself at the other side to the attacking forward say looking straight down the back line or somewhere around the 'long corner' marker). If a defender is stood on the inside of the post they may appear to be peeping around it.

If you stand on the side line, also look at the player who actually 'pushes' the ball out. They will place the ball on the back line, lunge forward (often with their foot pointing in the direction of the player who will receive the ball so that may also give you a clue as to who is going to receive it if it is not obvious), position their stick behind the ball, look to where they're pushing it to and then 'push' or hit it out. Often pushed for more accuracy.

Also at shorts, if an attacking forward is knelt down at the top of the 'D' with their stick along the ground, they will usually stop the ball for another attacker to take a straight strike or 'slip' it elsewhere.

If you want tight shots of the end of the stick and the ball then get to ground level for a closer to the action shot. I would take most shots from kneeling level or below anyway. Standing, especially if you are taller than the girls, in my opinion, will not as good results wise.

A lot of teams have their half time talk inside the goals. Some pitches are heavily sprayed with water (usually National League level) or are just very wet obviously following rain. If you shoot tight then you could capture some of the spray.

Have fun. It is a fast sport so keep one eye on the game (as well as concentrating on the shots) so you don't get hit or get in either the umpire or a players way - both can be running off the pitch.

PS - Also, check out of courtesy from both captains that they do not object to you taking photos.
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Sarah thanks for the tips. Great to get the view of someone in the know. I'm sure after a few matches i'll be familiar with how the game plays.

As for the ball, I don't want to think about how painful that could be lol. I've been hit by a football (you can guess where :D) and that is painful enough, so I don't envy your position in goal.
 
If you have a second body and can fire it remotely then having it set behind one of the goals could be good for penalty corners, especially if the attacking side like to drag flick as you get players parting like the Red Sea.

Depending on the level players tend to carry the ball in front of them so you should have a clear shot of their faces, especially when play is moving from right to left in front of you.

Definitely watch out for the ball, it's heavier than a cricket ball and will certainly crunch your gear/head/etc if you get in the way. As already said by others I wouldn't stand behind the goal unless there was a fence in the way.

Given the speed of the game the more interesting action tends to happen around the 25 yard lines, it's where all play funnels so you are certain of both sides coming into contact. You'll also be best placed to get into a good position for penalty corners.

Look out for the umpires - some can be very animated and could make good subjects ;-)
 
Hi Phil,
Four or five years ago I decided to go to few hockey matches to get some piccy's. Blind to the dangers in my quest for half decent snaps I actually quite often used to sit behind the goal line :eek: in what would be normal footie type positions. Now I wouldn't for one second reccommend that you do the same but can only recall one incident where the ball came anywhere near me ( about 2feet, I admit I may have been lucky) .

As far as I can remember only once did an umpire say to me he didn't want me to sit there when I spoke to him before the match started, (I always used to ask) but I have to say the lads I was shooting were incredibly accurate & very rarely missed what they were aiming for by far.

I think you'll really enjoy it, it's a great sport. Before I did my first match I had a preconception of posh public schools & jolly hockeysticks...forget it, those players are tough as old boots. :lol:

Luck,
Stew.

There's a few pic's here. http://www.actionpactsportsphoto.co.uk/p184472327/slideshow

Disclaimer: Field Hockey is a very dangerous sport & the author of this post takes no responibility for any damage caused to yourself or equipment if you decide to sit behind the goal line, decent piccy's can be obtained from other positions. :lol:;)
 
chimper said:
Disclaimer: Field Hockey is a very dangerous sport & the author of this post takes no responibility for any damage caused to yourself or equipment if you decide to sit behind the goal line, decent piccy's can be obtained from other positions. :lol:;)
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Gotta love that :lol:

Cheers for the tips Stew. If I sat behind the goal line I was thinking of sitting near what would be the corner flag in football, so well away from the goal.

By the way some absolutely superb images in that linky :thumbs:
 
lol I used to play a lot of hockey and one of my friends got her nose broken (as in splattered all over her face) by standing talking to the goalie in a friendly. Someone skied one at goal, missed and got her full in the face. The irony was that she was not playing because she broke her ankle the week before!

Don't sit unless you are prepared to get out of the way FAST (sit back a little from pitchside). Those hockey balls are hard and travel at up to 80mph. Spare a thought for those of us who used to guard the posts at corners.....the goalie has padding, we had shinpads and nerves of steel! lol

Photographically you will find it a little odd compared to football because the tackling is not the same, most tackles will be right side to right side as that is the way the sticks are held. You will still see a tackle from the other side but most often they are not as strong so players prefer to stay on their stronger side if possible.

Goalies are insane and you can often get some good pics during warm ups when they are practicing and getting their eye in. ;)
 
I also umpire a lot, please don't sit behind the goal! not a good place to be. Even if the shot is on target it only takes a deflection or a save to put the ball in you direction.

I tried a few weeks a go with my new lens and found the focusing a bit interesting not sure if it was the pitch crating problems or the Clink fencing behind or a lens fault still need to sit down and look at it

Let us know how you get on
 
redmonkee said:
Not sure what you mean by left wing though :thinking:

I think i'll sit on the sideline that way I can get good shots of the goal mouth action.

Can I ask what lens you use. I was thinking of two bodies one with the 300 2.8 and the other with a 135 f2, what do you think?
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As you look onto the pitch from the sideline, the umpire on your side will work to your right, so if you go to the left she won't keep running in your way.

I use a 300 and a 70-200 2.8, and I probably take 70% with the shorter lens. You've got experience of using them at a football field, the hockey pitch is just a bit smaller.

Carol's point about spectators lining the touchline is a good one, which is one reason I sometimes sit behind the goal line. I haven't felt unsafe staying within 2 or 3 yards of the corner flag, but I wouldn't venture within the circle area. There's a nice shot to be had if the goal's on your left, of the 'stopper' receiving the ball at a penalty corner.

Back in the summer I tried standing right behind the goal net during the warm up, trying to get a shot of the ball hitting the net. Even in the shelter of the goal it was scary. Thinking back though, a mens international probably wasn't the best choice of game to try that at....
 
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Well photographers will put themselves in the line of danger for a great picture sometimes.
A story that always makes me laugh (I think it could well be true) is the great Michael Steele when he worked for The Indepedant about 20yrs or more ago was sent to cover the national shooting championships at Bisley, security found him trying to sneak behind the targets in order to get a different angle to everyone else!:eek::lol::lol:

Stew.
 
I think your 300 and 135 will be perfect for hockey.

It has also been mentioned not to sit. Personally I think it is best to sit. You get your good angle and to be honest the chances of being hit on the sidelines is quite minimal.

I wouldn't try to move with the game that's why you have your 300mm. Obviously you could move during the game to take up a new position on your stool though.
 
KIPAX said:
Where in the north west? I have been wanting to try clitheroe hockey.. but fancy shooting hockey somewhere ? :)
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Oooo... had some tough games against their 1st's in recent seasons. They went up into the Feeder League (for the North of England) this season. They play good attacking hockey and have four ladies teams so you'll probably always get a couple of them playing at home. I play for Garstang and we're based at Preston Sports Arena.

We play in the Lancashire Central Womens Hockey Assoc League with teams as far north as Windermere, Southport is the furthest south and Clitheroe to the East. Most Clubs are concentrated around Preston, Lancaster/Morecambe, Ribble area and have several teams. Games are on Saturdays and start times can vary between 12 and 3:30-4pm.

For teams, fixtures and some contact details check out http://www.fixtureslive.com/api_page.asp Select Hockey (League/Cups), think our league is in the 3rd section down. Click on the divisions and then the teams within the tables and that'll take you to the fixtures/results and contact details.
 
cheers sarah found the results system from clitheroe site yesterday and contacted the club captain but no response yet.... home game this sat so would hope to get to that:)
 
bigrob said:
I think your 300 and 135 will be perfect for hockey.

It has also been mentioned not to sit. Personally I think it is best to sit. You get your good angle and to be honest the chances of being hit on the sidelines is quite minimal.

I wouldn't try to move with the game that's why you have your 300mm. Obviously you could move during the game to take up a new position on your stool though.
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I agree 100% Rob.

Stew.
 
For a sport that gets very little press, it's nice to see the thread count has hit 30!

I'm sure clubs out there would appreciate a sports photographer offering to cover a game(s). May help them raise their profile and attract players (clubs usually lose a few each season to Uni, family/work commitments...) and players too may like some images for themselves.

Local newspapers don't cover the sport off their own bat - we have to write our own match reports and supply the photo's if we want any coverage - neither of which they pay for.

You're unlikely to make much (if any) money out of it to be honest but it's a good way to pick up some experience and it may be a good way to get some relatively easy media credits.
 
Off to a mid-week cup game tonight to try some hockey shots with my 550D for the first time - looking forward to it :D

Hopefully the floodlights won't be too much of a challenge :thinking:

I'm a hockey player, umpire and coach myself so pretty confident on positioning etc so just have to focus on taking the photos!
 
What kit did you finaly decide on Phil ? 300 and the 135 ?

Would you use the same again or go with something else ?
 
Tugster said:
What kit did you finaly decide on Phil ? 300 and the 135 ?

Would you use the same again or go with something else ?
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Yep 300 and 135L on 2 x 1D3 I pretty much shot it the same I would with a footy match, but positioned myself on the sideline as opposed to behind the goal line, want to stay well clear of that flying rock of a ball :D
 
You can still get hit on the sideline. A couple of weeks ago the ball came in my direction at chest height, but luckily it wasn't going too fast. I tried to catch it, but fumbled as it was freezing and I was wearing gloves.

Experience has taught me when the most likely sideline ricochets will happen - defender closing down on a ball being hit hard up the sideline, and I tend to forget the photos and look out from behind the camera in those situations.

Behind the goal is too dangerous for me. Next time shinty's on the TV, look for the BBC camera behind the goal. They actually build a cage round it!
 
redmonkee said:
Yep 300 and 135L on 2 x 1D3 I pretty much shot it the same I would with a footy match, but positioned myself on the sideline as opposed to behind the goal line, want to stay well clear of that flying rock of a ball :D
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Cheers
 
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