Getting Creative With Angles
I've talked in several different blog posts, to varying extents, about angles. The angle at which you capture a subject has as much to do with the resulting photo as the lighting, your camera settings, or even the subject itself. With that being said, sometimes it feels like the inspiration to find new angles stagnates. So with that in mind, I thought that it would be interesting to write something of a guide to exploring different angles, told through the lens (pun intended!) of shooting hockey games.
At any high level hockey game that is played in a professional level facility, there will be holes cut into the glass specifically for taking pictures, hence the name photo hole. Typically, these are in each corner. These photo holes undoubtedly give a fantastic angle for shooting the game. You can get crisp, clear photos of the players that capture the speed of the game, like this one.
Taken with a nikon z6 & nikon 70-200 mm f/2.8 @ 82 mm, 1/2500 sec, f/2.8
It goes without saying that shooting through a photo hole is typically a preferred spot for any photographer. However, even in the photo holes, creative choices can grow stale. That's why I often like to mix it up and take wide shots of players very close to the hole. Sometimes I (and others) get fixed into the mindset that all the shots have to be tighter, capturing a player in fine detail to make use of the photo hole. However, capturing wide shots that show the environment of the rink and even have a sort of distorted or disorienting perspective can make for some very creative and unique looking shots, like this one.
Taken with a nikon z6 & nikon 24-70 mm f/2.8 @ 26 mm, 1/1250 sec, f/2.8
Outside of the photo holes, though, is where true creativity is really required and leaned on. Milling about the concourse and the stands is certainly not a photographer's first choice, but it turns out that not being in your preferred location can actually force you to create even more compelling images, and certainly ones that would have never crossed your mind if you were always in your most comfortable spot.
I was in exactly this scenario during the last Michigan vs. Michigan State game I worked. Being one of, if not the most junior photographer there for the game, I absolutely did not have the reputation needed to get a photo hole at such a big game. So, I was relegated to walking the concourse to caputre shots. Turns out, you can end up with some pretty cool stuff that way. This picture (despite Michigan being the team celebrating) is one of my favorites, because it encapsulates the emotion of scoring a goal from the players, while also featuring the fans supporting them from the stands. The fans accent the players, without detracting, because of the framing of this picutre. That was only possible because of where I was.
Taken with a Nikon z6 & nikon 70-200 mm f/2.8 @ 200 mm, 1/1250 sec, f/2.8
Another great shot from that game was wider, capturing the entire ice surface, and most of the stands. Yet again, fan motion in the foreground accents the general feeling of movement and passion in the rest of the photo. The elevated position of the concourse also gives an outstanding vantage point to capture the entire building.
taken with a nikon z6 & nikon 24-70 mm f/2.8 @ 29 mm, 1/1250 sec, f/2.8
The final big thing to capture, when you're not at a photo hole, is the fans; and just the fans. Like the players, detailed shots of the fans can make for outstanding photography. This shot combined tight quarters with the subject and a wide shot that captured more of the student section to create one of my favorite hockey shots ever, and it doesn't even have a single player!
taken with a nikon z6 & nikon 24-70 mm f/2.8 @ 24 mm, 1/400 sec, f/2.8
As you can see, there's a plethora of ways to capture a hockey game. I could go on and on with more pictures from even more unique angles and spots, of even more unique subjects, but this blog post might turn into a book! When someone hears that I'm shooting a hockey game, their mind almost always goes to shooting the players. However, there is so much more that is going on in a game that can add to pictures of the players, or make a fantastic subject on its own. While this post was obviously about hockey games, I hope that it can serve as inspiration for any other number of subjects. Everything has creative angles and spots to capture it from that can lead to unique compositions. Being creative is a skill, but it can absolutely be trained. Get out there and never be afraid to try something different. It may lead to something truly awesome. Until next week!
