September 05, 2008
I Need Your Vote!
I would like to ask for a favor. Please vote for a photograph of mine that is being considered in a national photography contest.
The winners of the contest will win a week's trip to a workshop at Olympic, Tetons, Yosemite and Yellowstone National Parks. The four winners will be accompanied by four professional photographers and receive a week of intensive training.
Posted by Allen Clark at 10:49 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
May 08, 2008
DC United Fall Short Against Chicago Fire, 0-2
Despite strong play early in the first period, DC United could not overcome the first period goal by Chicago's Justin Mapp. The second period goal by Cuauhtemoc Blanco sealed the game, as DC United just didn't seem to get anything going.
WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 8: Chris Rolfe #17 of the Chicago Fire steals the ball from Marc Burch #4 of the DC United during a MLS game at RFK Stadium in Washington, DC on May 8, 2008. (Photo by Allen Clark/www.OffWingPhoto.com)For more on the game and reactions visit the following sites:
- Behind The Badge, MLS Game #7: DCU 0 - Chicago 2
- From Black and Red, This blog is...
- The DCenters, First Impression - DC United 0: 2 Chicago Fire
- BLCKDGRD, United 0, Chicago 2
- From DCUnited.com, This blog is...
WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 8: Gonzalo Martinez #23 of the DC United and John Thorrington #11 of the Chicago Fire struggle for control of the ball during a MLS game at RFK Stadium in Washington, DC on May 8, 2008. (Photo by Allen Clark/www.OffWingPhoto.com)
Use of our pics are free to independent bloggers who credit the photographer and link back to OffWing Photo.
Posted by Allen Clark at 10:34 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
DC United vs. Chicago Fire (0-1), After The First Period
It has stayed dry so far despite threats of Thunderstorms, so far the only thing dampening spirits is the single goal by Chicago Fire late in the first period.
WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 8: Clyde Sims #19 of the DC United and Justin Mapp #21 of the Chicago Fire struggle for control of the ball during a MLS game at RFK Stadium in Washington, DC on May 8, 2008. (Photo by Allen Clark/www.OffWingPhoto.com)
More photos to come following the game.
Use of our pics are free to independent bloggers who credit the photographer and link back to OffWing Photo.
Posted by Allen Clark at 09:10 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Photo Shoot For New DC United's Jersey And Sponsor
Here is a slick little video of my friend Mitchell Layton, sports photographer extraordinaire, during a photo shoot with some of the guys from DC United as they sport their new uniforms with the VW logo. DC United just inked a deal for VW to be their shirt sponsor.
Caught this as I was doing a little pre-game prep. OffWing Photo will be out there tonight to catch all of the soggy action from tonight's game against the Chicago Fire. Game time will be just after 9pm due to a 30 minute pre-game show on ESPN2, who will be airing the show.
Posted by Allen Clark at 03:10 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
May 04, 2008
One third of the The National Press Photographers Members To Lose Their Job This Year
That was the claim by Dirck Halstead, in May's Letter From The Publisher of Digital Journalist, they claim:2008 will go down as "The Year the Newspapers Died." Publications are in free fall due to dropping circulation and falling advertising. Unfortunately, one of the first places the publisher turns to in order to cut costs is the photo department. We estimate that this year, as many as one third of the membership of The National Press Photographers Association will be out of a job.While I didn't see any back-up to that claim, there is some other doom and gloom for photojournalists in this issue. Also, Terry Heaton for the Digital Journalist looks at the growth of the citizen journalist.
Posted by Allen Clark at 09:57 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
April 30, 2008
Photographers Rights
Yes, as a photographer you do have some rights.
For the sports photographer this might not be as big an issue as it is for others. But I can imagine that a photographer somewhere might be approached on school grounds while taking pictures of your own child participating in a sport. Photographer's rights is a hot topic right now on several blogs and podcasts. There is some good information and reference material that I wanted to share with all of you.
- Photographers rights for the, the United States.
- Street photographers rights for the, Australia.
- Photographers rights for the, the United Kingdom.
- This is a scary post regarding ads that are running in England, UK Declares War on Street Photographers
- Here is a link to a follow-up post about what is happening in the UK,Photographer's Rights: One More Time.
Posted by Allen Clark at 05:26 PM | Comments (0)
April 21, 2008
New York Times Writes About Sports Blogs
Or did they?
Earlier this week the New York Times ran a story, "Tension Over Blogging." In the story, Tim Arango writes, "Tension over sports blogging is one of the strains between sports franchises, leagues and reporters to have emerged during the digital age."
Funny, the story did little to talk about the sports bloggers that started blogging and the millions of people that turn to blogs for coverage of the sports they love and to interact with the other fans that coalesce around specific blogs. The story didn't talk about the role of blogs in sports or even journalism. The story also didn't touch on how the blogs have affected the coverage of sports and the expectations of the readers of the New York Times or your favorite blog, like OffWing Opinion.
Are you asking yourself what the story was about yet? The blogging headline caught our eye but the story had nothing to do with blogging, the real story is one that has played out in other industries over the past decade, it is about the Internet and it's affects on an industry, this one being the "sports entertainment industry." At stake are billions of advertising dollars.
Prior to the Internet only print, radio, and television news organizations had the means to communicate to the masses. Traditional media's audience have come online and blogging has simplified the process of publishing to the point that quite literally anyone can publish a blog. The larger sports leagues have at the same time been developing their own media delivery platforms, while also securing the "coverage" of the events as a revenue stream. They are now making moves to limit access and coverage of their sporting events so that the public's eyeballs (and subsequent advertising dollars) return to League and team websites.
The NYT's article is really about the problems of print journalism in meeting the needs of their viewership. Stories come out everyday about more layoffs at a venerable publication. Management hands out point and shoot cameras to reporters; video cameras and audio recording devices to photographers. Quality drops as both reporters and photographers are asked to do more in less time. Yadda, yadda, yadda...I don't really want to go down this path right now.
John Harrington also wrote about this topic today in a story, Sports Coverage Blackout - It's About Time. He also touches on press limits being proposed by high school sport leagues in various places around the country. OffWing Photo also looked at this topic earlier this year and how it was being played out in Arkansas and Illinois.
OffWing and OffWing Photo will continue to cover the events that we are given access to. While our writers can sit in the stands or watch from their living rooms, our video and still images our taken by yours truly and a group of dedicated photographers. We strive to provide quality images that would rival the other photographers covering events, we don't want to do anything less.
The disservice of all this is to the fans, because your source for information is being limited. OffWing blogs because like you we love our teams and the sports we cover. The limits of our coverage should come down to our capabilities and the desire of our fans. While the big leagues can lock us out, they shouldn't. We increase the value of their "product" and bring them more eyeballs.
Sorry, I am a hopeless romantic. I root for my home town team, look up to the heroes of my sports, and feel fortunate to share with all of you what I can.
Rah! Go team!
Posted by Allen Clark at 09:47 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
April 12, 2008
Washington Capitals Jump On Flickr
While researching for Game 2 of the NHL's Eastern Conference quarterfinal series hockey game between the Washington Capitals and the Philadelphia Flyers I was clicking around the Caps website. While there I clicked on a graphic for "Image of the Day."
A few others (shout out to tai.shar who also frequents our galleries) had found the gallery which includes just one photo per day, really. Nothing more. Well, it is a start. It looks like photographers for the away games are also posting a picture.
For more Cap pictures you can check out OffWing on flickr.
We will be back tomorrow with pictures from game 2. Later.
Posted by Allen Clark at 10:06 PM | Comments (0)
March 21, 2008
Knowing Your Subject
It always helps to know or even have played the event that you are going to shoot.
Here is a great example of this, famous dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov got behind the lens to shoot the Merce Cunningham Dance Company. Check out the exhibition announcement for a statement from Mikahil, more info and pictures.Posted by Allen Clark at 10:17 AM | Comments (0)
March 13, 2008
Fun With Flickr
OffWing Photo uses both Photoshelter and Flickr to share our photos with clients and with fans. Like any good handyman the trick is using the right tool for the right job.
One tool that I have started using is referred to as a Badge by Flickr. Flickr provides both html and flash versions that you can include as part of any website. They also have several different layout options that you can personalize. Photoshelter has just launched a similar service however it is not as robust as the Flickr tool.
Following is an example of a Flickr badge, using photos from the last game we shot.
| www.flickr.com |
Click through to see and learn more.
Flickr also provides a lot of control over what photos are included in a badge. For instance I upload all of my photos as sets. I then choose which set I want to include in a badge and then choose for Flickr to randomize the photos in the feed (you can also choose the most recent). You can also create a badge that pulls photos across different sets by choosing a tag.
www.flickr.com
|
Below is an example of a flash based Flickr badge, again it is cool. I don't like this as much as the html version because there are fewer choices in personalizing the image presentation.
Posted by Allen Clark at 04:48 PM | Comments (0)
March 09, 2008
Playoff Hopes Beginning To Fade In Loss To Pittsbugh
So what do you say about a game that is lost in the final 40 seconds of play? What is worse is that it was scored mistakingly by Nicklas Backstrom. An empty net goal by the Penguins 15 seconds later by Jordon Staal had the many Pittsburgh fans in the stands on their feet cheering for their 4-2 win over the Washington Capitals.
The 5-3 loss to the Pittshburgh Penguins makes getting into the playoffs that much tougher for the Washington Capitals. Joe Dumas, of OffWing puts it this way, "the two losses on the weekend make it that much harder for the Caps to sneak into the playoffs, as they are 6 points out of the 8th seed and 7 points out of the Southeast lead. With only 12 games to go, they need to do something special to make the postseason."
WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 9: Goalie Cristobal Huet and Shaone Morrisonn of the Washington Capitals protects the net during a NHL hockey game with the Pittsburgh Penguins on March 9, 2008 at the Verizon Center in Washington, DC. (Photo by Allen Clark/OffWingPhoto.com)
WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 9: Shaone Morrisonn of the Washington Capitals and Pascal Dupuis of the Pittsburgh Penguins struggle for control of the puck during a NHL hockey game on March 9, 2008 at the Verizon Center in Washington, DC. (Photo by Allen Clark/OffWingPhoto.com)
WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 9: Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals controls the puck during a NHL hockey game with the Pittsburgh Penguins on March 9, 2008 at the Verizon Center in Washington, DC. (Photo by Allen Clark/OffWingPhoto.com)
Posted by Allen Clark at 09:06 PM | Comments (0)
March 08, 2008
Fun Online Tool
I saw this first on Photojojo's website a few days ago and had a chance to try it out with one of my photos.
Mag My Pic has many different covers to choose from, just wish that I could get it at printable quality. But who am I to complain about something that is free. Drop by the site to check out the different covers available, the current count is 16 covers.
Create Fake Magazine Covers with your own picture at MagMyPic.com
Discount Magazine Subscriptions - Save big!
Posted by Allen Clark at 11:15 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
February 26, 2008
Getty Images In My Rearview Window
This Monday the private equity firm of Hellman & Friedman bought Getty for a cool $2.4 billion. You can read more about the details as they were released yesterday from Hellman & Friedman.As a refugee from the heady Internet days and the Telecom mergers there are a few things I have learned after being bought, sold and merged more times than I can recall. First off, what this really means probably won't get sorted out until later this year or early in 2009. The deal isn't supposed to close until the second quarter of this year.
Secondly, don't ever buy the phrase, "we are different, a merger of equals." I laugh when I hear that one, there is always a buyer and the one being bought. In this case Hellman & Friedman bought Getty, we won't know what the "New Getty" looks like and how it operates.
Photographer and blogger John Harrington has been following Getty's moves and photo industry impact over the past couple of years and did some "crystal balling." Today he posted his insights which on the whole I agree with.
Hang on for another year of big changes in the business of photography.
Posted by Allen Clark at 10:45 AM | Comments (0)
February 16, 2008
Photo Road Trip? - Learn How To Pack
If you are going by plane, train or automobile and bringing your photo gear take a couple of minutes to watch this video by Chase Jarvis. Chase is a world-class sports and lifestyle photographer.
In this video (run time of about 10 min) he walks through how he packs for a shoot and some additional tid-bits that he has learned.
Posted by Allen Clark at 06:56 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
January 04, 2008
Friday Chuckle
This post is a little off topic but will certainly bring a little joy into your day. I just came across this and I am still laughing...or crying.
This goes to show you how easy photography is. Enjoy the following link to the professional photographers of Olan Mills.
Posted by Allen Clark at 04:24 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
December 28, 2007
Interview With Chris Rutsch Of Hartford's Wolf Pack
I came across a piece about the team photographer for the Hartford Wolf Pack, an American Hockey League (AHL) team located in Hartford Conn.
- Read the story here.
- You can view Chris' pictures here
- The story comes from Mitch Beck's"Howlings: Hartford Wolf Pack News And Commentary."
Posted by Allen Clark at 09:18 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
December 27, 2007
What Happens To All Those Photos You Take?
If you don't know the answer to that question then it is about time you spend some time thinking about "Workflow." So what is workflow?
Workflow is everything that you do after you take the picture. It can be simple or complicated. My workflow might not work for you, there is no single perfect workflow. There however some basic elements to workflow.
- Acquiring the images from your camera
- Storing the images on the computer
- Processing the images
- Archiving the images
Sounds boring, eh? So why do I need to care?
Ahhhh, let me take you back a few days or weeks when you first got your new DSLR with that huge sensor of megapixels and the ability to fire the shutter 3-9 times per second. You take this beauty out take some picture of your son or daughter and you come back with a 4gig card full of pictures. So what do you do with all those pictures?
Having a consistent method for handling all those images will make your life much happier and increase the chance that someone will actually see some of those great pictures you took.
I have put a lot of thought into this because of the amount of pictures that I take at a typical event. Of course these are just a reference, your mileage may vary:
- hockey game: 150 - 300images
- wedding: 300 - 700 images
- swim meet: 200 - 300 images
- soccer game: 70 - 150 images
Stay tuned as I try to help you figure out what you should do with all of your great pictures. Shoot me questions and I will try to answer them the best I can.
I will leave you today with a fun read about Sports Illustrated's digital workflow from Rob Galbraith's Digital Photography Insights written in 2004.
Posted by Allen Clark at 06:14 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
December 21, 2007
Sports Photography Classes Coming To NY
I would love to make it to a couple of these classes being offered by Adorama Camera, one of the largest photo retailers in the United States, is celebrating the first anniversary of the Workshops@Adorama (http://www.adorama.com/catalog.tpl?op=WS_List).
The Sports Photography class will be lead by Jeffery Snyder and Mitchell Layton.
Jeff and Mitchell put together a great class (I have attended one of their sessions) and I shoot with Mitchell in Washington, DC. He is the team photographer for the Washington Nationals (baseball), Washington Wizards (basketball), and the Capitals (hockey). Both Jeff and Mitchell are great guys with a ton of experience.
This from Adorama:
The fast-growing series of on-site photography courses are taught by top working professional photographers and digital photography specialists.
To celebrate the Workshops' first anniversary, Adorama is announcing an early-bird discount of 10% on all the currently posted Workshops@Adorama from today until January 10, 2008.
Winter/Spring Semester 2008 Workshop Overview
In January and February, Workshops@Adorama will present a mix of several new classes, including Intro to Sports Photography Techniques, Just Add Stills: Adobe After Effects for Still Photographers, and Introduction to Digital Astrophotography. And the return of such popular favorites as Digital Food Photography: Creating Delectable Images, Travel Photography: Beyond Being There, Color Management: What Is It and How to Use It to Get Better Prints and Adobe Photoshop: Understanding Layers and Masks.
Additional Workshops, Seminars and Special Events will be added in the coming weeks and months, so check back often on our web page.
For a complete list of sessions for the entire Winter/Spring 2008 semester, go to http://www.adorama.com/catalog.tpl?op=WS_List
All classes will take place in the fifth-floor multi-media classrooms at the Adorama Building, 42 West 18th Street, between 5th and 6th Avenues, in New York City unless otherwise indicated.
If you have any questions or need assistance in registering, please contact Carl Nilson Monday-Thursday, from 9AM-6PM by email at: carln @ adorama.com or by phone at: 212-741-0401 ext 2216.
Posted by Allen Clark at 08:11 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
December 12, 2007
Shooting the Game: Interview with Norwegian hockey photographer Espen Hildrup
Our good friend Jon Swenson over at the Sharkspage recently interviewed Norwegian hockey photographer Espen Hildrup and allowed us to republish the article here. Jon runs a great blog, you should check it out if you are haven't already.
2006-07 VALERENGA TEAM PHOTO - ESPEN HILDRUP
Norwegian photographer Espen Hildrup was kind enough to answer a few questions about hockey photography, the Norwegian Hockey League champion Valerenga team, former NHL Allstar Espen Knutsen, and ice hockey in the small country of Norway.
Espen's latest collection of 2007-08 Valerenga hockey photos are available here, and photos from the 2006-07 Valerenga season are available here. The official GET-Ligaen league website is available at hockey.no, and the official Valerenga Ishockey team website is available at vif.no.
JOHNNY BRUUN 2-1 SHOT - ESPEN HILDRUP
[Q] How long have you been photographing sports, and how long have you been shooting ice hockey in Norway?[EH] I started shooting ice hockey - and sports - in February this year. I picked up photography as a hobby 3 years ago, with a Casio compact. Got my first dSLR 2 years ago; an Olympus e300. Since then I've been doing work for Corinthia International, SAS Radisson, several advertising agencies, magazines and newpapers.
Last winter the weather was really bad here in Oslo, Norway; no snow, only rain and fog, so I didn't get to use my camera at all. Then I called Valerenga Ice Hockey and asked if they could use someone to photograph them. They said yes - and since then I have been to all of their games. Valerenga is by far Norway's #1 ice hockey club, with 25 Norwegian Championships. The ex-NHL All Star player Espen "Shampoo" Knutsen is their head coach.
[Q] What camera do you use when you shoot a game, and which lenses do you use most often for hockey?[EH] I'm using a Canon 5D. Not a typical sports camera, with full frame and 3 fps; but 13mp and very clean high ISO images helps.
In the beginning I brought all sorts of lenses to the games, but the 70-200mm f/2.8 soon became my favorite. I also bring the 1.4x teleconverter, for extra reach - but that gives an f/4, which is a little on slow side. Also the 85mm f/1.8 is a good lens.
[Q] There is a tremendous amount of action and detail in your photos. What do you look to capture when you shoot a hockey game, and what is it like shooting at some of the ice hockey rinks in Norway?
[EH] Having played ice hockey for several years, when I was younger, I try to anticipate the action. Often I just keep the focus at the keeper and zoom in/out as the players move around him. I also try to keep both eyes open; one in the camera, with the other I try to "scan" what goes on outside the viewfinder... When you follow the same team you learn their typical tactics and moves, so you can locate yourself accordingly.
[Q] You have a large collection of photos online, many are of the Valerenga club who have won three straight Norwegian titles. How would you compare the Norwegian league to other leagues? How does Valerenga look so far this season?
[EH] I haven't seen any other leagues except for watching the NHL on ESPN360.com. And comparing the norwegian GET League to NHL is like comparing a Skoda to a Ferrari...
As mentioned, I started shooting ice hockey less than a year ago. Before that I was only into landscapes and travel photography - which got a little boring.
Valerenga is also #1 again this year; but the competition is getting tougher. Valerenga lost 3 major players last season; 2 Americans went back to the US, and 1 native Valerenga-player went to play professionally in Germany. So after not really having found new players, combined with teams like Storhamar Dragons, Stavanger Oilers and Sparta Warriors who are working seriously to be the best, this season looks more uncertain the last year.[Q] Hockey is very popular among the youth in Finland and Sweden, and interest is growing in Denmark and Germany, are more young kids in Norway starting to gain interest in the sport?[EH] Ice hockey is a small sport in Norway, and I have often wondered why. I just do not understand it; why norwegians do not give this sport a chance. In Sweden Ice Hockey is a major sport. Likewise in Finland. One explaination could be, that people has some kind of mental connetion between ice hockey and fighting. Maybe media in Norway has focused too much on the fights, and too little on the game itself. I don't know...
On Valerenga's Hockey School, this year there were almost twice as many participants as last year. And on average, there are 10% more people coming to see the games in Norway this winter. So it looks like ice hockey is picking up in popularity. It also helps that a TV channel broadcasts a match every Thursday night.
There's a lot of talk about the climate change here in Norway; the winters getting warmer, with less snow and ice. So I think more people will look for indoor sports for the winter seasons. This could give ice hockey a boost in the years to come...
[Q] With Norway's Patrick Thoresen playing for the Edmonton Oiler's AHL affiliate in Springfield, and fellow Norwegian Ole-Kristian Tollefsen racking up 47 penalty minutes already for the Columbus Blue Jackets in the NHL, which Norwegians are having the most success playing outside of Norway? And is there a Norwegian player or prospect that fans should keep an eye on?
[EH] Besides Patrick Thoresen and Ole-Kristian Tollefsen, I do know the name Mathis Olimb, an ex-Valerenga player who now plays for the Augsburg Panthers in Germany. There's talk he will be playing in the NHL next year.
Right now I heard Mathis Olimb's litte brother, Ken Andre Olimb, who scored Norway's 1-0 goal against Ukraine in the Junior World Championships in Germany, is a player to watch. Also Ken Andre will become one of Norway's top international players. Last night, Patrick Thoresen's little brother Steffen Thoresen signed a contract with Valerenga. He arrives from Allsvenskan in Sweden. So things are looking good right now!
[Q] Espen Knutsen played for the Anaheim Mighty Ducks in 1997, but he also received a second shot at the NHL with the Columbus Blue Jackets on the recommendation of former San Jose Sharks/Norwegian national team head coach George Kingston. Knutsen was the only Norwegian to play in an NHL allstar game, the Swedish Elite League team Djurgarden called him one of the best players in the teams history after he retired, and he captured a Norwegian championship in his first year as the head coach of Valerenga, What has been Espen Knutsen's impact on hockey in Norway?
[EH] Espen "Shampoo" Knutsen's impact on norwegian ice hockey is tremendous! He's an icon in Norway, even though I don't think the average Norwegian actually realizes how big being an allstar in the NHL really is. This combined with his sympathetic and nice way of being, makes him a very popular person in Norway. He earned the championship in his first season as head coach for Vålerenga last season. Now there's people who wants him as coach for Norway's National Team.
Thanks very much for taking the time to answer a few questions, and for telling us a little about hockey in Norway. A handful of photographers have contributed to the Shooting the Game series, including Grega Juvancic from Slovenia, Jenik Bohac from Latvia, Laurent Lardiere from France, and several others.
[Update] 2006-2007 in review: Norway, Valerenga Norwegian champions for the 25th time - Eurohockey.net.
Posted by Allen Clark at 09:52 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
December 05, 2007
Dave Black Reviews New Nikon D3
The accomplished photographer, Dave Black has just posted a great review of Nikon's new D3 DSLR. For the sports photographer he has some important things to say about the auto-focus and ISO features of Nikon's new flagship DSLR.
- Read Dave Black's Nikon D3 Review.
- Nikon's D3 Propaganda. (I love it)
For now I will be sticking with my D200, but once again there is a reason for me to be envious of others.
To view OffWing's most recent photos please visit our Photoshelter gallery.
Posted by Allen Clark at 07:36 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
November 10, 2007
Arkansas Bends Under Pressure Of Photo Policy
On Friday the Arkansas Activities Association (AAA) decided to suspend their new photo policy just before the state football championships, from mounting pressure by the Arkansas Press Association and several newspapers. The AAA is the sponsoring organization of championship games for public and private schools.
The policy will be suspended until Dec. 1, giving all sides some time to work out a compromise. The AAA contends that it owns the copyright to all postseason events and requires photographers to pay a fee if they or their publications plan to sell — via the Internet — any pictures or videos of tournament and playoff games. The AAA was going to charge photographers for the right to photographer state playoff games, $35 for playoff to quarterfinals, and $50 for the state semifinals and finals.
More on the story can be found at the Arkansas Democrate Gazette (AAA)
Posted by Allen Clark at 11:15 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
November 09, 2007
How To Shoot An Event
I came across a great post last night by Derek Powazek about how to shoot an event. Derek provides a great list of "to-do's" and "how-to's" that work for especially well for the sport and event shooter.
This is definitely worth the trip over to his website.
Posted by Allen Clark at 08:08 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
October 07, 2007
The Thrill of the Shoot
So with the start of our new photoblog, courtesy of Allen Clark (Thanks Allen), coinciding with the start of hockey season, I thought this was a good time to reflect on the past year. It was a little over 11 months ago that Eric told me about his idea to add photographic coverage to Off Wing Opinion’s outstanding coverage of Capitals Hockey and I immediately begged to be involved. A few days later, on November 3, 2006, I entered the Verizon Center for the first time with a mixture of trepidation and excitement but from the first click of the camera, I was hooked. Although I’ve been shooting nature and wildlife photography for years, that night was the first time I had the opportunity to shoot professional sports. With a 30 minute tutorial from Jon Swenson – check out his amazing pictures at www.sharkspage.com – and a borrowed lens from my boss, I embarked on this incredible journey.
Everyone I met that night from the Capitals franchise that night was extremely helpful and welcoming and I’m so excited to be working with them again this season. I was fortunate that night to share a photo box with a photographer from Sports Illustrated who offered a number of great tips and stories about shooting hockey. The pictures I took that night were okay but definitely had room for improvement. Hopefully you’ll agree based on the shots after the jump that I’ve learned a lot over the last year:
Image of Kolzig from November 3, 2006
Since that first night, Off Wing Opinion’s photography has seen a lot of changes:
-- we’ve added two more regular photographers: Allen Clark and Kate McGovern
-- we’ve added three more websites devoted to our pictures: our Flickr page , our Photoshelter Virtual Agency; and now Off Wing Photo
-- we’ve added new sports: DC United, Washington Bayhawks, Roller Derby, Dew Action Tour, Legg Mason Tournament; and Bowie BaysoxEach new sport has brought its own set of challenges. With the Capitals, the action is so fast its hard to capture individual moments on ice plus shooting through the glass limits your field view and sometimes brings the action a little too close. For DC United, the 1st challenge was simply getting to RFK – did you know that it takes 45 minutes to drive around the stadium on game day and the weather can provide its own set of challenges. Both the Bayhawks and the Dew Tour were made challenging by the heat and the blazing sun.
Its amazing to be back shooting the Capitals, a “seasoned photographer,” but even after a year the thrill is still there – the excitement of walking into the arena before a game, the feeling I get when I know I’ve managed to capture the moment; the excitement in the photo lab between periods when everyone is rushing to sort through the 100s of pictures from the period to select the 4-5 pictures that are worthy of posting.
Eric – Thanks again for sharing this amazing ride.
Posted by Ellen Blanchard at 04:37 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
October 02, 2007
Looking For That Perfect Lens
Sigma recently announced the massive APO 200 - 500 mm F2.8 EX DG.This morning one of the OffWing photographers posed this question, "I've been tossing around the idea of buying a lens (I've been renting) and I'd probably go with one for hockey since I think I'll be shooting more of those games, at least right now. Which brings me to my next question - what would you guys recommend? Is there anything that could be used for both hockey and field sports? Any thoughts on buying used?"
Very good questions indeed, nothing like having the right tool for the right job.
My advice was to go with is a 70-200mm f/2.8 ($1640 @ Adorama). This is a very flexible lens that has a constant 2.8 that will help you shoot in low light situations while keeping the shutter speed high enough to stop the action. This is the lens you would use to shoot at ice level for hockey.
Recently taken by me with a Nikon 200, 70-200mm f/2.8.This is almost a must-have lens. There doesn't seem to be such a price difference on used vs. new on this lens because most people will never sell it unless they are switching from cameras.
The new model comes with vibration reduction (VR). This is very cool but I have found it is not needed for my sport shooting because I am typically using a shutter speed of 400-500, so camera shake is not that big of a deal. When shooting at 60-100 the VR would help. The VR also pulls a lot of juice from the camera's battery as it refocuses, something that happens a lot in hockey.
The other option would be a 400mm f/2.8 or 500mm f/4 . These are incredibly expensive ($3500 used - $9000 new) for most people. This is the lens that the photographers use to shoot down onto the ice from the stands. It is also what is used primarily to cover soccer, football, etc.
For me the decision came down thinking about what kind of situations I will most likely be shooting and cost. The 70-200mm f/2.8 was an investment that I basically HAD to have (I don't think my wife felt as fervently about it as I did) to do my job.
The bigger lenses are on my wishlist where they will stay until I make a lot of money with the sport stuff or find an incredible deal.
Nikon has just announced three new telephoto lenses. Check out the review over at Digital Photography Review. They also have this review of the Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8.
We happen to shoot with Nikon but Canon has comparable lenses.
Interested in the monster Sigma lens? You can read more about it here on DPReview.
Posted by Allen Clark at 04:54 PM | Comments (0)
September 27, 2007
First Night At The Cap Center
It was fun to get back into the hot seat to start shooting hockey again. Even the photographers appreciated the pre-season game to work through some of the cobwebs of shooting such a fast sport as hockey.
WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 25: Goalie Olie Kolzig of the Washington Capitals prevents a goal by Scott Walker of the Carolina Hurricanes during during a NHL hockey game on September 25, 2007 at the Verizon Center in Washington, DC. (Photo by Allen Clark/OffWing)I typically have more decent pictures to pick from but the shots were just not there Tuesday night. My total number of shots were down and I really had only 3-5 pictures relatively decent.
One of my goals for the evening was to try a few different things that I might incorporate later in the season, so I think this had some affect on the number of keepers that I had. It is of course fun to take a good picture, but I also really enjoy pushing myself to try different things and then learning from the good AND bad shots.
See more photos from OffWing Photo by visiting our Photoshelter gallery.
Posted by Allen Clark at 02:02 PM | Comments (0)
