Roller Derby~ Eves Of Destruction

Nothing like a little roller derby action on a Saturday night. Shot these with a Canon EOS 1D Mark IV and a Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8 L USM Lens. Played around with Alien Skin Exposure 4 for light leaks, scratches and LOMO effects.

Doomsday Bunnies Ivonna Masterskate goes flying after trying to get around Belles Brawl Rage

Doomsday Bunnies Ivonna Masterskate (second from right) tries to get around Belles Brawl defenders

Belles Brawl Rage falls trying to get around Doomsday Bunnies Simba Storm

6 Ways To Improve Your Sports Photography

Sports photography. If you can master it, you’ll improve every aspect of your shooting. Much of your success will depend on what you do before you release the trigger.

1~ Pay attention to the background

More than anything else, this will take your action pictures to the next level. I can tell if a photographer knows what they’re doing just by looking at where they position themselves to shoot. Any busyness in the background will camouflage the action.

2~ Use fast telephoto lenses wide open

Shooting wide open helps to clean up the background and isolates your subject with shallow depth of field. Sports photographers generally do not use a lens slower than f 2.8.

3~ Keep alert

Expect the unexpected. You never know what’s going to happen at a sporting event. Avoid chimping! (editing your photos in camera)

4~ Practice

Great shots don’t happen all the time. When they do, you not only have to be there to capture it, your camera skill has to be impeccable so you don’t miss it. It takes thousands of hours to build a portfolio.

5~ Try a wide angle

Any chance you get. Most sports pictures are telephoto. They all begin to look the same. Ask any picture editor. Stay low to the ground to clean up the background.

6~ Look for something different.

Quirky is what you want. Strange things happen when you freeze action. When shooting and editing, look for unique images that still show both teams and include the puck or ball.

Jr. Hockey FINALLY!

Junior hockey finally returned to Victoria. I’ve been waiting 16 years to shoot the juniors again.The best hockey in the world. Here’s to a great season!

This is a shot from the first period of  Victoria Royals Jesse Zgraggen getting dumped onto Kelowna Rockets goalie Jordan Cooke .

EOS-1D Mark IV
EF300mm f/2.8L IS USM
1/1000 sec
f/2.8
1250ISO