The Hockey Tour continues! For those of you that don’t already know, I have recently contacted a number of ECHL and USHL hockey teams about the possibility of doing some photography for them. The first team I photographed for on this “tour” was the Cincinnati Cyclones, you can view that post here.
Fighting Saints defenseman Mike Downing during pre-game warmups.
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Next up was the Dubuque Fighting Saints hosting the Green Bay Gamblers. Dubuque isn’t nearly as far away as Cincinnati, which is good, because it was an extremely busy weekend, with very little sleep. After a short 90 minute drive, we were there, at will-call, and getting our Media Passes. Upon meeting my contact, I was pleased to see that I was allowed to shoot from more places than in Cincinnati, but that may have something to do with the much smaller size of the Mystique Community Ice Center in Dubuque. It is a very nice arena, and only three years old from what I am told. Pretty good lighting too, as far as hockey arenas go. Older rinks tend to have sodium-vapor lights that cycle from red, to green, to “white”. So when you’re in burst-mode and shoot 5 frames per second, one will have green ice, one will have red, and one will have what we see as “accurate” lighting. And as you can imagine, the good shot in that burst is never the ‘accurate’ lighting one!
Fighting Saints defenseman Matt Benning, just before taking the ice.
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I was able to photograph the Fighting Saints close to their locker room as they took the ice, which was fantastic. Everyone was standing there, getting pumped up for the game and the announcer’s introductions. The downside was that I didn’t use a flash because I didn’t want to disturb or disrupt the atmosphere, and I had to use my 35L with an ISO of 6400. Lots of noise in the images, but at least I was able to capture them; try that with your kit lens.
Fighting Saints forward Jarrid Privitera taking the ice like a rockstar.
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I was also able to shoot from between the benches, behind the net at one end of the rink, the Zamboni door entrance, and from anywhere there wasn’t people. Besides letting in a goal off an odd-bounce 20-seconds into the game, the Saints played pretty well; tied at a goal a piece after one period. A total of five-goals scored in the 2nd made for an interesting period (along with all the fights and penalties)… and the Saints came out of it with a 5-2 lead, which would hold the rest of the game, through a scoreless third.
Fighting Saints forward Mike Szmatula bolting up the ice with the puck.
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It was a great place to photograph, and the hockey was good as well. I can’t wait to go back!
Fighting Saints netminder Arthur Brey.
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Fighting Saints forward Dylan Gambrell passing the puck up ice.
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Fighting Saints forward John Stevens backchecking.
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Fighting Saints Captain Shane Sooth celebrating another 2nd period goal.
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