flash & iso

Here's a weird one: I do very little flash photography, so bear with

me, please. My son plays hockey, and the rinks are terribly lit.

Currently, I'm using Fuji CZ (Press 800) with decent results at 375

shutter speed. As you can imagine, the color balance is not fantastic,

and compensating filters are more bad than good where I'm shooting.

 

I've read in places that using flash with slower film actually

"freezes" movement better than faster film with available light and

faster shutter speeds. Would this apply to my situation? I was

thinking of using ISO 200 or 400 film and flash (with my paultry sync

of 1/90). The theory, of course, is that the shutter speed might be

slower, but the film becomes exposed not during the entire shutter

interval, but rather during the much shorter flash iterval.

 

Am I all wrong? The problem is, I could experiment, but tomorrow is

their last game of the season, and I don't want to waste an entire

period's worth of photography on blind experimentation. This just

occurred to me...otherwise, I'd have done it months before. Any advice

appreciated.

When I shoot ice hockey I use fuji press 800 and push it to asa 1600 and have it push processed by the local PRO LAB. You set the camera up for 1600 and shoot at around 125th to 250th at best. Be absolutly sure that you tell the pro lab that they need to push process this at asa 1600. I ALWAYS use a Sekonic spot meter and meter on the players faces all over the rink to get my settings set up prior to the game.

 

this lab will handle mail order processing, just BE SURE TO PUT A NOTE IN THE PACKAGE AS TO WHAT ASA YOU PUSHED IT TO.

 

http://www.bwc.net/

Miles gives good advice about shooting sports indoors. The problem you're noticing with color balance can be fixed in two ways, using CC filters in front of the lens during exposure, which isn't always good because it lowers the amout of light in an already low light situation, or you can correct color balance (as long as it's somewhat close) in printing, or digitally in post.

 

You are correct, flash would freeze action well, and the exposure would only be for the flash duration, not the entire shutter speed (which is why flash is only controled by aperture). There are two problems with flash in this case though; your flash is only so powerfull, you need to be within the working distance of your flash, probably within around 30', this will vary depending on your equiptment. The other problem is the flash reflecting off the plexiglass, depending on your angle for a given shot it may completely obscure the shot, or you might barely notice it.

 

Peter

In minor and pro hockey; i have never been at a rink that allows a flash. It is damn distracting and darn real rude to blast a player with a flash; unless this is worked out beforehand with the leagues coaches and players. I just use asa 800 Fuji print films; and faster F2.8 lenses; and avoid the evil of pushing films. <BR><BR>In adult league and amateur play hockey; often the lighting is poorer. Some places only run a truncated set of lights during amateur games; to save money. Ancient rinks use to have tungsten edison bulbs; and the lighting was really darn poor. Fluorescent bulbs vary in brightness by air temperature. A bulb that is at 100 to 120 F will out only 1/2 as much light a 60F; and 1/4 as much light at 42F. Flourescent Bulbs that are just turned in the early morning can be darn dim; in a cold rink. In the summer time one rink I shot at would vary one stop in exposure; between early morning and evening. The exposed bulbs would be warmer in the evening; due to the hot attic; and cold when the rink opened in the morning. One could shoot adult league at 11pm; they figure skaters doing patch sessons at 6am. The exposure required was double in the early mornings. <BR><BR>Try some faster lenses; panning with the action; slower shutter speeds too. Amateur light is more difficult; so the sucess ratio is usually less. I would check with the player and coaches before experimenting with a flash. The opnly times I have used flash is with formal team shots.

Look at the previous thread called "Strobe/Sync Confusion" below. It's not about sports/hockey, but you can find useful information about flash freezing motion, particularly how the ambient light level can affect whether or not you get motion blur. Also, if you haven't used this technique before, you may be surprised by the fact that the flash freezes your subject (given that the flash was accurately computed) but your backgrounds and anyone that is not directly lit up by the flash will definitely have motion blur. Also, if you have bright spots behind your subject, you may get some motion blur around your subject. It doesn't sound like you're using a camera that has automatic fill flash reduction, but that could affect whether or not the flash freezes your subject, too.

This was shot at 1/112 second at F2.8; panned with the players; a 5.5mm lens on a 1.3Megapixel Olympus P&S camera; thru the "glass".<BR><BR><IMG SRC=http://www.ezshots.com/members/tripods/images/tripods-169.jpg><BR><BR>Here is Rejean Stringer at 1/250 sec; F2.8; 10.5cm Nikkor; on a Leica M3; Fuji 800 processed at Walgreens<BR><BR><IMG SRC=http://www.ezshots.com/members/tripods/images/tripods-406.jpg><BR><BR>Here is SZWEZ of Pee Dee shot with a cellphone; with a 240x320 sensor; panned with the Zebra and guilty player; escorted/going into the sin-bin.<BR><IMG SRC=http://www.ezshots.com/members/tripods/images/tripods-547.jpg><BR><BR>Here is an ancient Conejo Valley Ice rink shot; done with a Rollei E3 TLR; and asa 1250 Royal-X; probably about 1/250 or 1/125; at probably F4 or F2.8 to F4. Here a typical amateur rink has way less light; and even this has underexposure. A dinky fill lfash would have helped here; to fill the shadows. This was not shot thru the glass; but above a broken section. <BR><bR><IMG SRC=http://www.ezshots.com/members/tripods/images/tripods-452.jpg>

A little blur can actually help make a btter shot; so do alot of experimention. Carry a dinky notebook and record the exposure settings at each rink; they vary alot. Use the WRONG CAMERA too; and dont be afraid to break the rules!

dont be afraid to missspell too ! :)

See my answer to this post in sports Photography forum

 

http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00B3TF

Thanks, guys. I'll just experiment.

eos 10d, 70-200 2.8L auotWB. ISO 400