It's a Pink Whale (1 Viewer)

[Michael_K_Sr]

I love shooting ice hockey but getting the right white balance is an exercise in frustration. I usually wind up correcting in post-process. Excellent photos, Scott!

 

[Scott Merryfield]

Thanks, Michael. Yes, white balance can be a challenge in some rinks, as the lighting can be pretty poor and uneven. Luckily, this arena has relatively good and even lighting, making things a little easier. It is not an NHL-quality arena, but the lighting is close.

 

[Sam Posten]

DPP good gosh! Do you hate yourself that much? Skip Noiseware and go right to Lightroom. It's only $149 now regular price. Cheaper if you have a family member in school.
Don't forget the other benefit of that 1 extra stop the 2.8 has, subject isolation. You'll take the 'crowd' out of these shots a bit more. Maybe not so much at the distances you are dealing with but it will be there.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

If you haven't used DPP in awhile (and since you shoot Nikon, I assume that's the case), then you would be surprised how far this application has come from Canon for processing raw files. I also own Photoshop Elements 10 (just upgraded from version 8), but much prefer the overall results I get with DPP over PE. It's one weak spot is probably in noise reduction, although it is getting better there, too. I do not need advanced NR too often for my more serious shooting, so I haven't wanted to spend the money nor my time learning on Lightroom -- but I'll probably succumb someday to the lure of LR.
I do not consider these ice hockey shots serious, but just something for fun. Hence also the reason for not wanting to spend $1,000+ to upgrade my 70-200 f/4 to a f/2.8. Plus, I love the smaller size/weight of the f/4 version. I've used my 85mm f/1.8 on occasion for ice hockey when I had an older body with lower ISO to work with, so that is always an option, too, for subject isolation -- I would just need to crop the shots more afterwards. With an 18MP sensor, though, that shouldn't be too big a deal, since I'm not planning on making any large prints of these shots.

 

[Sam Posten]

I'll take your word for it, but even if they have improved the horrible speed, horrible UI, and lack of features I'd still suggest moving to Lr =)

 

[Scott Merryfield]

Adding to an old thread...
The Plymouth Whalers held a charity alumni game today. Participants included current NHL players Tyler Seguin (Boston), James Neal (Pittsburgh), Jared Boll (Columbus), and Matt Hackett (Minnesota). This was my first time shooting ice hockey with my new Canon 5D3 and 135L lens.
Tyler Seguin signing autographs:

James Neal signing autographs:

A.J. Jenks

Tyler Seguin

James Neal shoots, while Jared Boll (#7) trails

Tyler Seguin hits the crossbar over Matt Hackett's glove hand

Former captain Chris Terry shoots

You can see the rest of the photos here

 

[Sam Posten]

Love the action shots!

 

[Scott Merryfield]

Thanks, Sam. The 5D3 performed very well on this shoot -- I couldn't be more pleased with the camera. I did use my Kenko 1.4x teleconverter on the 135mm f/2 lens for some shots, and wasn't as pleased with the results as shooting without the TC -- auto focus and sharpness were each just a little off. When the season starts, I plan on trying my 70-200mm f/4 with the 5D3. I've used that lens with my 7D to shoot some games, and its biggest drawback is requiring an ISO of 6400, which can cause some noise with the 7D. This shouldn't be an issue with the 5D3, though, as it's high ISO performance is stellar in comparison with the 7D.
The above action shots were all shot at f/2.8, ISO 3200 and 1/1250sec. I set a custom white balance, but it was off, so I had to reset WB in post processing. I use the side boards as a WB source, but must not have got a clean shot of white space when I set the custom WB.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

Here are a few shots from last nights sixth annual Pink Out game, benefiting the Karmanos Cancer Institute. The players did not dye their hair this year for some reason. Our Plymouth Whalers defeated the Sarnia Sting 5-4. I only shot through the first period, as it is difficult to both watch the game and shoot at the same time.

This is Plymouth's starting goalie, Alex Nedeljkovic. He was rated the top North American goaltending prospect for the 2014 NHL Draft by Central Scouting, given a first round pick rating. Ned has been excellent in goal -- very fun to watch.

 

[Sam Posten]

Cool as always!