# 6465-68 / windshields • hockey ~ and now for something completely different

he’s a Vermont Lumberjack and he’s OK ~ (embiggenable)

waiting in line for the ferry ~ (embiggenable)

sunset as viewed from on the ferry ~ (embiggenable)

I BEGAN MY µ4/3 LIFE WITH THE PURCHASE OF an Olympus E-3 DSLR - pre-mirrorless era. After moving on to Olympus mirrorless cameras, I used the E-3 as a prop inasmuch as, when making pictures for commercial assignments, I had it around on shoots to validate to the client the idea-image wise (in the personal image sense)-that I was a professional photographer. In other words, pay no attention to those little amateur looking cameras which, of course, were making much better image files than the big impressive looking camera.

That written, this weekend past, I was tasked with making pictures of my hockey-playing (Juniors in the Eastern Hockey League) grandson (FYi, he’s playing his way up the ladder to college hockey). So, out comes the E-3, emerging from its current state as a paperweight, cuz it is, together with my 50-200 f2.8 lens (e10-400mm), my best tool for hockey action picture making. It has been so long since I have used the camera, that I had to almost relearn how to use it. Not to mention the time spent finding all the pieces - batteries, charger, cards, camera strap, et al.

In any event, one of the challenges of making reasonably sharp hockey action pictures is the problem, at ice level, of shooting through glass. That is, “glass” which is actually well scratched and marred plexiglass. Fortunately, a tele lens focused on a referent well away from the glass helps diminish, but not eliminate, the scratches and mars but, nevertheless, you are still shooting through what might be labeled as a pretty thick diffusion filter.

My grandson’s team, the Vermont Lumberjacks’-hence the spiffy red checked, flannel pajama -looking uniform-home rink is in Vermont and it requires a ferry ride across Lake Champlain to see a game. Last evening, on our ferry ride home, the wife and I were treated to very nice sunset which was very different from our midnight-a pitch black, cloudless sky before moonrise-ferry ride home after Saturday night’s game.

# 6049-52 / update ~ there and back again

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THIS WEEKEND PAST, AS MENTIONED, I TRAVELED TO the Boston area with my grandson, Hugo, for the Eastern Hockey League (Juniors) Combine event. The combine is for scouts and coaches looking for talent for their teams. Hugo is already signed to a team but went to the Combine to be seen and to get up to speed (literally) at the Junior level of play-he’s 17 playing with 19/20 year olds. Hugo made an impression with coaches and scouts, many of whom were sorry to hear that he was already signed to a contract with an EHL team. His Combine team won the Combine championship with Hugo contributing 3 points-1 goal / 2 primary assists-of his team’s 10 goals in the tournament.

In any event, I spent a lot of time in the rink, in the hotel, and in a great Irish pub. However, while I was away from home, our neighbor’s house, along with 3 vehicles, burnt to the ground (picture made by the wife from our front porch). The wife discovered the fire and called 911. The family was away on vacation so there was no loss of human life but their 3 dogs perished in the fire.

# 5989-90 / hockey ~ I'll try anything once.

downtown Albany, NY ~ (embiggenable)

Nice helmets ~ (embiggenable)

DROVE TO ALBANY (NY) YESTERDAY TO ATTEND A NCAA D1 REGIONAL HOCKEY GAME. Notre Dame v. North Dakota. A good, closely played game won by Notre Dame 2-1 in OT.

The question of the day was, Sports action photography with an iPhone? The answer: Sure. why not?

FYI, every time I see the Notre Dame glittering, shiny hockey helmets (hand painted before every game), they always strike me as rather weird. But, if the ND football team can do it, why not the ND hockey team?