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3 Tips from a Pro to Take Better Photos of your Child on the Ice

By Kevin Sousa Photography, 10/30/17, 10:30AM EDT

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Maple Leafs photographer shares his knowledge on getting the best hockey photos

hockey photos

Photo Credit: Kevin Sousa Photography

Every parent wants to take the best photos of their kid playing the sport they love. There’s few better photos than a smiling face on the ice or that incredible action shot that seem to fit perfectly on the kitchen wall or on the mantle.

There are ways to snap great photos without buying an expensive camera or being an expert photographer. But you’ve got to get on your feet.

Here are three tips for parents to keep in mind when photographing your kid on the ice:


Photo Credit: Kevin Sousa Photography

1. Off-Ice Candid Photo

My personal favourite photos of my kids are those little moments that happen off the ice. So get that camera ready to take photos of your child putting on their jersey, taping their stick, walking from the locker room to the ice because these are the candid moments that you’ll one day look back on and cherish.


Photo Credit: Kevin Sousa Photography

2. Get close!

The most common mistake I see parents make is that they try to take photos from their comfortable seats in the stands. To get that get action shot, you’ll need stand in one of the four corners of the rink and shoot up ice in hopes your children are skating with the puck coming right at you. Getting close also means placing your lens against the glass in order to reduce the glare from the glass.


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Photo Credit: Kevin Sousa Photography

3. Crank it up!

For those who are a bit more technical. No one likes motion blur so you’ll need to turn the dial on your camera to either TV mode or Sports mode to achieve a minimum shutter speed of 1/500 of a second. This may sound complex but spend 15 minutes on YouTube and Bobby Orr is your uncle! While on YouTube, learn about how ISO works and this will really allow you to crank up that shutter speed to reduce that motion blur.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kevin Sousa is a sports photographer and father of two. He’s worked for MLSE, USA Today and international agencies from the USA to Europe and is also a contributing photographer to the OMHA. His photos have appeared in newspapers, magazines and books.

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