Lots of media sources are compiling their Best of 2009 and even Best of the Decade galleries as we fast approach 2010. I thought I’d join in the fun by putting together my own favorite photos i’ve taken this year. Its a good exercise for any photographer to do, giving you the opportunity to reflect on your work in the past year and how you may learn to improve from them.
So, follow the jump link to see my Photos of the Year from 2009. They’re not necessarily the “best” images in terms of execution or action pictured, but were certainly what I thought were cool or funny or interesting. The pictures are presented chronologically through 2009.
Most of our shots of the postgame ice stuff, like Malkin lifting the Stanley Cup, were ruined by TV and Getty photographers
This and the subsequent clip i’ll upload is only interesting to show photographers the shit we have to deal with in getting photos from the post-game celebration. With the exception of a couple special “pool” photogs, (Getty, NHL, AP, Reuters) all others were held back until basically the initial spontaneous celebration had been well underway on the ice. Then we’re held to this side carpet forbidden from going near the players until after the trophy presentation… Notice all the TV and shit getting in our shots. My favorite douche was the NBC camera guy on skates(!!) circling every player doing low-angle wide shots.
So i forgot i had my G10 around my neck and was only able to get this little sample of the post-game chaos. This is after the trophy was already presented to Crosby and the team photo. NHL finally let us get close to them and it was basically a free-for-all scrum. Lots of elbows and knocked heads.
This pre-game show from Joe Louis Arena and song has been ingrained in my head now after covering the whole playoffs. Detroit put up a good show, alas to no positive result…
Home-ice advantage doesn’t become more evident than when we media folks converge on the locker rooms after a game and see the stark differences between gilded opulance in the home dressing room compared to the utilitarian spartaneity of the visitors’. This clip is from after Game 2 as I run between the Detroit and Pittsburgh sides to try and photograph players giving interviews.
For many NHL hockey games, sports photographers will install remote-triggered cameras in the rafters of an arena to capture the over-the-ice angles that are so sweet when made perfectly. This is a view from my hip as I took up my own camera to mount before Game 2 of this year’s Stanley Cup Finals game in Detroit. See if you can count the total number of remote camera positions!
