Hockey game with blurred figures.

[Michael]

I am new to the SLR Digital Rebel so I was wondering if someone could help me figure out how I got this shot. Why are the skaters around the centered Naslund blurred. It was not my intention but it seems to be a rather unique effect.

[jchristopher]

I am new to the SLR Digital Rebel so I was wondering if someone could help me figure out how I got this shot. Why are the skaters around the centered Naslund blurred. It was not my intention but it seems to be a rather unique effect.

There's not much light at a hockey game... even with the lens wide open, camera needs a slowish shutter speed for proper exposure. During the longer exposure, the players moved around, thus the blur. As for Naslund, maybe he was standing still?

Were you using one of the automatic modes?

[Brad Trent]

By the way, you DO know that those ultra-sharp pictures you see from hockey games are the result of shooting with strobe, right? It's almost impossible to get really tack-sharp results when shooting hockey unless you're plugged into the strobes that live up in the ceiling of every major sports arena in the country...

http://www.daveblackphotography.com/...a-lighting.htm
http://www.siphoto.com/?FinalFourRules.inc

BeeT's

[Michael]

By the way, you DO know that those ultra-sharp pictures you see from hockey games are the result of shooting with strobe, right? It's almost impossible to get really tack-sharp results when shooting hockey unless you're plugged into the strobes that live up in the ceiling of every major sports arena in the country...

http://www.daveblackphotography.com/...a-lighting.htm
http://www.siphoto.com/?FinalFourRules.inc

BeeT's

I didn't know this. Thank you very much for the information.

[JSPhoto]

By the way, you DO know that those ultra-sharp pictures you see from hockey games are the result of shooting with strobe, right? It's almost impossible to get really tack-sharp results when shooting hockey unless you're plugged into the strobes that live up in the ceiling of every major sports arena in the country...

http://www.daveblackphotography.com/...a-lighting.htm
http://www.siphoto.com/?FinalFourRules.inc

BeeT's

Actually you do not need the strobes to get a sharp image in hockey. What you do need is is a really good camera body, really good "glass" and the old adage " Location, location, location". Also one other thing, two or three games for "practice" to learn what settings work and what don't.
I never shot hockey until two weeks ago, but in the first period I got some very good shots, the second period even more and finally in the third I got some absolutely excelent shots (according to my editor, not me, he pays the bill so his word counts I guess). I didn't use any strobe or flash, I did use my trusty ole Canon 1D with a Sigma 70-200mm f2.8 and used the low light settings I had from a couple of basketball games I shot at New Castle Indiana (largest high school gym in the world seating 9000 and very dark) as a starting point. I also adjusted the Color Temp manually to work with the lighting and ice. Ice is the greatest white card you can find. Nect I got my location, right at ice level and took a few check shots to verify color and ISO setting and shutter speeds were OK. Note that depending on the lens your using you will LOSE one to three stops shooting through the glass. I was able to get very good shots at ISO 800, but the higher I went the better. I did get a bit more noise at 1250 than expected but that was cleaned up with Neat Image. Shutter speed was set for auto and was normaly between 250 & 800. I was able to easily stop action, including the puck. On one series of shots I got the goalie being hit in the head by a shot, the puck flying up in the air, stopped and both the puck and goalie are sharp, while the official along the far boards and fans in the background are blurred due to DOF.
I also took some shots from up in the stands, even the nose bleed section and they came out fine, but I had to lower the ISO or the ICE was blown out. I was still able to stop the puck in the air.
Now I know not everyone has that type of equipment but with lots of practice, trial and error you CAN get it pretty close to what I explained. Play with all of your settings, trial and error are sometimes the best teachers. I wish I could post a couple of those shots but the editor wouldn't allow it as they paid for the shots and co-own the copyright now. Maybe after next weekends playoff game(s) they will allow me to post one or two.
By the way, not one of the twenty plus photographers that had press credentials, including the team photographer were using strobes or anything but the natural lighting of the rink.
The shot you have posted here shows a couple of things. One, try setting your focus to spot and see what you get. It appears the focus is off to the lower right instead of the center. Two, try and up your shutter speed. I do not know what your ISO was set at but it appears that if you up your ISO to say 800 and shutter speed to at least 160 to 250 you will avoid the blur. It seems to me that the focus locked on the slowest moving target and that was Naaslund, which explains why he came out clear compared to everyone else.
Hope that helps some.
John