Tigers Vs Pats

It seems that I'm always looking to take an ideal shot or pose during the hockey game. The time that it takes for me to drive to the Arena to take photos at a game is very important to me. As an artist, I'm visualizing different stances that players do. I am also thinking if I was going to do a painting of a player what pose or stance would inspire me?  

These ideal shots is where the player is in a routine stance, certain pose or little habits that they show on the ice. Habits like tucking their jersey into one side of their pants. Others like to chew on their mouth guards while they skate. The goalies, well they are a different bunch all together. I seen guys come up to the net and treat it like a shrine. They stand in front of it and say a prayer, tap the two post and then the cross bar before turning around and backing up into it.  They don't light candles but pretty close... I believe that most if not all goalies slap the catching glove and then the butt end of their stick to the goal post in rhythm. 

Then there is the player or the goal scorer that seems to communicate with his stick by staring at it,  rubbing the taped part and almost talking to it.

That's why I believe that sports photography is not only capturing the players face and emotion but also capturing them in their routine superstitious habit. What ever ritual they do, I want to capture it

Hope you enjoy!

 Most of these photos were taken on November 13th, 2010. Between the Medicine Hat Tigers and  Regina Pats..

Starting goalies always go to the center ice area and do their stretching out while their counterpart go to the side boards for their stretching exercise. Here #33 Deven Dubyk at center ice going through his routine.

 This would be a cool pose to paint....

Capturing the player during a break in the game makes for some interesting poses. During game if I get a chance to talk to players I always tell them that when I'm looking at you with my camera, Smile at me..lol

This would be a cool pose to paint....

 Hunter Shinkaruk has a habit of chewing on his mouth guard while he skates. 

This would be a very cool pose to paint....

Here Linden Vey turned just in time to see the puck coming out of the net after team mate Emerson Etem scored.

This would be a cool pose to paint....

Just like Frank Lennon, the photographer that took the pictures of Paul Henderson of Team Canada, scoring on Russian goaltender Vladislav Tretiak. 

Each one of us photographer dreams of taking that one or two photos that will for ever live on in the life of a sport. Eugene Erik is the main photographer for the Medicine Tigers. One of the question we always seem to ask each other is "Did you get that Goal?" Which of course means did you get the photo of the goal going in the net... 

More then enough times I always seem to get a picture of the referee's butt. Just as a goal is about to be scored. This game was between the Tigers and the Kootenay ICE.

This would NOT be a cool pose to paint....

From where I sit during the games, like I've said in previous blogs, is the best seat in the house. I get to see a lot of face offs and the great Jr. hockey thats packed with non stop action.  
I always try to capture the moment the puck leaves the hand of the referee. I like to see what the player eyes are doing during that particular second. Like in this shot of Wacey Hamilton #36 and the Rebels #9 Ryan Nugent-Hopkins during a game against the Rebels. Their eyes are focused on the puck in the referees hand...
But with any sport photography,

sometimes you get the shot and sometimes you don't...

This would be a cool pose to paint....

Here Linden Vey takes the puck away from his opponent..

By the way Linden is going to be playing in the 2010 Subway Series against the Russians on November 17 and 18. Read about it here at  Hockey Future.com

Good Luck Linden!

A stance of Linden playing against the Russians would a very cool portrait to paint....!

The photo of Paul Henderson was turned into a drawing which was donated to a local charity in Brooks Alberta. Go here to view " The Goal ".

 Also You can view Eugene Eriks web site Here 

You can can go to my photo web site at http://www.pbase.com/mcimages/tigers_vs_pats  to see more of these shots..