The Hockey Net Camera

Here's the thing, anyone who follows my photography knows I have been planning and talking about this all summer.  I have been wanting to get some VERY unique pictures and one way I have decided to do that is by using remote cameras.  You see it all the time in NHL hockey....The NET CAMERA.  Why does a net camera have to be reserved for professionals only?

I decided that it didn't and set out to get a net camera going for this years hockey season.

Here are the items required:

• 1 Nikon (can be any brand really) DSLR Camera,
• 1 Sigma (again insert your brand of lens) 15mm fisheye lens,
• Pocketwizard remote camera trigger with the required sync cord; and,
• A lexan camera housing, manfrotto super clamp and a small tripod ball head.

Here is a shot of the set up in the net.

Thanks to Thomas Kolodziej for the picture of the setup.

The entire set up was mounted to the back post and sat roughly 6 inches off the ice.  White padding was placed around the outside of the lexan box to provide protection for the camera.  Once everything was in place I took a few steps back and fired off a test shot.

Everything was working great and I was ready for the start of the game.  A lot of folks think sports photography is just a fast camera, a fast lens and a photographer just shooting thousands of pictures, commonly known as spray and pray.  While that may be true to a certain degree it does take some skill to know where the play is going and what will make a great image.  The Net Camera is spray and pray.  You have to hit the button when the action gets close and hope (or pray) you got the shot.  There is no way of knowing what pictures you have until you get your hands on that compact flash card and download the images.

Again Thanks to Thomas for this shot as well.

Here I am during the first intermission getting the compact flash card from my camera.

My first attempt with the net camera did not return earth shattering results, however even an average play looks cool from a view that not many people get to see.

Trevor