[Banded Drake]

Ok so i put these in showcase only because i am really starting to see the improvement . I still have some issues i know but i can see them getting better . As always any C/C is welcome ...

I know its penality but WOW !!

1


A missed call , his glove was " hooked " off ..

2


Ive been working on trying to get some " checks " and i seem to be getting them fairly reagular now ..

3


This is one of my favorite hockey shots so far .

4




Thanks for all yalls help and i look foward to seeing what yall have to say about these ! .

....... Shawn

[Toad]

Great action, Drake. These are really coming along. Exposures and WB also great improved. Are you selling any of these?

[Wedding Shooter]

Great Shawn - as Toad said the white balance and exposure is looking much closer now. Did you shoot RAW?

[Zig]

Yes, even better: number 4 is excellent...how's about brushing out that stick, bottom right...?
Chris beat me to the raw question. Maybe lower contrast at raw conversion stage, build up saturation afterwards, then dial down and/or lighten yellows?
You seem to have really developed your eye for anticipating the action here: I really admire your tenacity Shawn.

[Irma]

Excellent pictures Shawn...
Yes, I like a lot #4 but the other ones are also really nice...

This time you were in a different place??
I can see more people in the public... I just smiled when I saw the lady in #3.... the action in front of her and she looks so relaxed and a lot of people with close eyes!! ... as if they were sleeping....

[Banded Drake]

Thanks Yall ,

Toad , I havent tried to sell any of these to anyone , and to be honest i dont think i am allowed . My buddy is under contract with them and i am working with him so im kind of on shaky ground . To be honest i am shooting just to learn more and see what happens with them next season . I might be able to pick up a contract through them also .

Ws , the only shot that is in RAW is #2 , the rest are in jpeg . I am still trying to see if it is justified to me to shoot in RAW and so far i the jury is still out . I did shoot different though , i shot in AV and exposure comp +2/3 to +1 . Then in post pros all i really do is adjust the contrast and more magenta and somtimes the blues and a little bit of red . Thats about all .

I know yall are shakin your heads about the RAW thing but as soon as i feel like i " need " it i switch to it .

Zig , thanks . Before i print #4 i will get rid of the stick , but i will keep it on there when i turn it into my " boss " . I have a hard time "manipulating" shots that i am turning in as photo journalistic . If they use it on anything they will remove it i am sure .
I also find myself being more patient while shooting , not rushing my shots so i am getting more keepers , almost doubling my amounts .
Irma , i didnt notice there faces until you pointed it out and it made me laugh also . When they hit the wall it is very loud and i wonder if everyone was blinking at the sametime from the " crash " .
When i shoot through the glass there are plenty of times that i jump for the puck hitting the boards and from the people hitting it also LOL .

Thanks for all the feedback ...... Shawn

[matthew]

Shawn, these are really good. I'm learning a lot by watching your results.

What software do you use to manage your images? (I'm about to suggest Lightroom if you aren't using it.)

[Banded Drake]

I am using CS3 , i havent had the chance to play with Lightroom yet and would love to hear the advantages of using it vs. CS3 . Mind you i am still learning about cs3 so it would be hard for me to compare ..

Thanks for your compliment , i am glad that you are learning from me i feel honored ...


...... Shawn

[matthew]

I can't wait to see where you go from here. Your sense of timing is getting very sharp.

The difference between CS3/Bridge and Lightroom:

Bridge is a file browser with some integration into Photoshop. Photoshop starts with a raw conversion or pixel-based image, and ends with saving the changes to an individual image. It's a powerful program that can do anything anyone can imagine.

Lightroom is a Digital Asset Management program thats designed for sorting and cataloging hundreds and thousands of images. (While it gives a good front-end for ACR to convert raw images, it also works with jpegs.) It's built to allow easy ranking and keywording of photos, backup, retrieval, and batch processing.

I own and use both, but LR alone takes care of 95% of my personal images, and 50-75% of my work ones. And even for the images that I use photoshop for, they stay within Lightroom's management structure and I use LR for printing or resizing the finished image.

[matthew]

Shawn, anything new on the Hockey front? I'd love to see anything new that you have, and hear your current thoughts on camera settings, composition, and action.

I'm photographing my future-godson's game on Saturday, and I'm fighting the urge to bring every lens I own. (Probably a losing battle.) He's only twelve-ish, so I won't face the same speed and challenges that you have, but you've set the bar pretty high.

And I'll be shooting raw+jpeg.

[Banded Drake]

Sorry Matthew i havent shot any hockey in 2 weeks . They were on the road playing . I do have a game tomorrow night but that will be to late to help you any.
I can tell you that you will have a hard time with the lighting , dont be afraid to push that camera to its limits , i shoot in AV mode , the only reason i dont shoot manual is the lighting changes from center ice ( brightest ) to the corners ( darkest area ) and im just not fast enough to change settings . Also center focus in AI servo , then its just playing , i usually shoot +1 stop exposure . I think youll find that if you wait for the action to come to you then youll have better success . Shooting raw+jpeg maybe waisted space , i dont think youll need jpeg , raw will be best for you it .
You will do great , and prob teach me more than i can teach you LOL . Let us know how you did , and teach me LOL..

......... Shawn

[NT73]

Great stuff Shawn.
You say you don't think you are allowed to sell. The only way you are going to find out is by asking.
I am sure you can do it in a polite way, that won't offend the other guy.

[matthew]

Thanks for the tips. I'm a little nervous, as this is the first time I'm shooting hockey, first time using C-AF on my new camera, and the first time I'm meeting my GF's friend and friend's son. There's a lot riding on this. And for added excitement, the reason why I'm shooting raw+jpg is that I'm going to be burning a CD to leave with mother and child. (I may delete some of the complete duds before I burn the disk, though.)

I've packed lots of everything consumable -- three four-gig cards, three two-gig cards, and four batteries. (I'm also visiting in-laws with a 1-year-old the next day.) In 35mm-equivalents, I'm carrying three lenses that give me continuous coverage from 14mm to 400mm, plus a 1.4tc to bring it to 566mm at f/5. Still in 35mm terms, I'm also carrying a 100 f/2.0 and a 70-200 f/2.0 with both a large petal hood and a rubber hood in case I can find a clean piece of glass. If I can't get any decent shots, at least I know where the blame lies.

[matthew]

You will do great , and prob teach me more than i can teach you LOL .

BD, I'm only just back and importing the first batch of photos, but I can already say that I have tremendous respect for the job you do and the photos you're getting. I am a LONG way from teaching anything. I always thought your shots were great, but know I have a much better idea of just how good you need to be to get them.

[Banded Drake]

Thanks Matthew ,

It is a tough shoot but its also fun ! I am sure you arent giving yourself enough credit . I cant wait to see what you got .


......... Shawn