Internship
Internship
Embedded Files
During the 2021-2022 hockey season, I worked as the fan and sponsorship photographer for the Wheeling Nailers at Wesbanco Arena. My main responsibilities were capturing photos of the cheering crowds as well as gathering images of sponsor logos on the boards and around the arena. However, occasionally I would capture a few shots of the players here and there.
Pregame
Pregame
A look into the meeting room: Before each game, the crew discusses the game plan in this very room.
Katie, the Game Day Operations Manager, is usually the one to run the meetings and will appoint specific jobs to certain individuals when necessary.
The lovely Katie Strong and her wonderful family!
(credit: @_katiestrong_ Instagram)
The Meeting Room - Two hours before puck drop
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For example, if a certain sponsor infographic (like the one pictured below) is to be displayed on the jumbotron at any time and they would like a photo of it, Katie will notify me during the meeting.
But the pregame fun doesn't just stop in the meeting room!
But the pregame fun doesn't just stop in the meeting room!
When there are special promotions, such as a free fan giveaway item, you most definitely will find me running around the lobby to find the perfect shots of excited fans.
Then, during the Pregame Warm-up, I'll hop into an open seat in the arena and shoot some action shots of players with sponsor logos in the background.
The last sets of images I will capture during pregame are action shots of the players as they take the ice once again through the firey Nailers tunnel.
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As well as National Anthem singers and fans involved in puck drop.
I also might capture a few eager fans awaiting for their favorite player to pass them a puck.
showing that I sit on the side of the opposing goalie
1st Period
1st Period
When it comes to capturing images of fans during the periods, there's always one major strategy I make sure to stick to: Sit on the side of the opposing goalie. This ensures I get the best angles of crowds as their eyes would be more directed here when the Nailers score a goal.
For the most part, I try to take at least 100 photos a period. Sometimes that doesn't always pan out but it's worth the shot!
I do tend to move around a bit each period as I feel sitting in one spot for the whole twenty minutes is not the smartest idea. I don’t necessarily want 100 pictures of the same people and I'm sure neither does my boss...
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The more I move around, the more I scan the crowd, looking for some really excited, eccentric, and crazy fans. Those usually make for some awesome photos!
But of course, as with anyone in my shoes, I have to stop every once in a while to take a few snapshots of the players...I mean how could you not?!
There are multiple reasons that I may stop paying attention to the crowd and capture images like those above. One reason is to just give myself a bit of practice. Hockey is a very hard sport to photograph as it is fast-paced and sometimes hard to follow. And because it's one of my dreams to become a professional hockey photographer, I figure why not dip my toes in the sand (or in this case, ice) and gain some experience!
A different reason for photographing the players is to capture an action shot with a sponsor logo lurking in the background. Afterall, it is part of my job to include images of not just the fans, but of the wonderful sponsors as well!
With the end of every first period, comes first intermission.
From beer can races to bouncy ball bowling to small 5-minute hockey games, this is usually my most favorite part to photograph!
The traditional Frosty Friday Beer Can Race
reindeer sled pulling race: a holiday special
Bouncy Ball Bowling
A shoot-out featuring the SHAHA South Hills Panthers
Not only is being on the ice pretty cool but just seeing the participants’ faces light up is awesome! I absolutely love it!
Plus, the lighting is twenty times better on the ice than in the seats so that always makes for better pictures too!
After the first mini-game, there’s always a second one, known as minute-to-win-it (M2W). This one is usually between 2 fans (unless there are teams). Still a fun one to shoot though!
"yank me" involves yanking paper out from a tower of cups in order to stack them together
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These games range from "yank me" to "flip cup" to cup stack with hockey gloves.
After the intermission games, I perhaps grab some food, pop a squat, and wait for the next period.
2nd Period
2nd Period
For each period, I pretty much just follow the same regiment. Again, I start with the trick of following the opposing goalie, which, for those who don't understand hockey, that would now be the opposite net from the previous period. And just like the first period, I continue to move around a bit to get different angles, fans, and reactions.
I will mention, however; that I sometimes go up on the catwalk during at least one period (maybe not every game though) to take overhead pictures of the players with the logos on the ice.
The cat walk experience might top the intermission game fun!
I’m honestly not the biggest fan of heights but being up there is so amazing that it might just cure that fear. Definitely one of the most interesting and exciting views of the game!
Now comes second intermission!
The first activity of this intermission is known as Chuck-a-Puck. The rules are pretty simple, but I'll explain them in depth.
First, fans purchase a set of pucks in the lobby before second intermission with a specific number on them.
Then, during the intermission, a bin is brought onto the ice for fans to chuck their pucks into.
Finally, one lucky puck is pulled to win a special prize, usually a jersey.
I usually pick a spot in the seats to photograph the fans as they throw the pucks, but I have also been on the ice, shooting from that angle too.
Then there’s another M2W game (same idea as first intermission).
Bead Toss from Mardi Gras Night
Heart-shaped puzzle challenge
Caught him cheating red handed in this Bottle Flip challenge...
Nothing really new occurs in the third, other than maybe the crowd might get rowdier as the end of the game nears.
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3rd Period
3rd Period
If you're new to the sport of hockey, there are three twenty-minute periods and only two twenty-minute intermissions. So with third period, I of course do the same steps as the other two.
Because there's not much else I do that's different, I'll just share a few of my favorite shots from this season here!
Sometimes, however; when the score is tied and the third period ends, the game will continue into something known as Overtime (OT).
My responsibilities stay the same through OT as well.
However, OT can either be the most exciting time...
...or the most stressful time for the fans.
For me, it's a fun time either way as seeing the multiple different reactions are priceless!
But, of course, it's not over yet...
But, of course, it's not over yet...
I know what you're thinking. I said earlier that a hockey game consists of three twenty-minute periods with two intermissions in between. So, how could it not be over yet?! Well, even though the game might of ended, the fun still carries on...
Post-Game
Post-Game
Not all games have post-game activities, but if they do, it’s part of my duty to stay for them.
These activities include group photos on the ice, autographs, and post-game skate.
Group photos are not my priority as the team photographer, Joe, is the one to take them, but I do still stick around to watch what he does and even just get some candid shots of the groups as they walk out on the ice.
Autographs usually take place in the lobby with two players who sign whatever a fan is wanting to get signed.
The last form of post-game activities is known as post-game skate.
What is post-game skate?
This is just where fans of all ages are able to skate with the team and even get any objects or jerseys signed if they want.
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To capture this activity, I usually pick a high enough seat in the stands above the glass to photograph this, but I will shoot through the glass at times.
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Additionally, I have also sat on the players bench and shot from that angle too!
And of course, this is another favorite activity of mine to photograph!
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Why? Because it's so sweet and fun to watch the faces of not only young kids, but adults as well light up!
Just an FYI if you were wondering...
Post-game skate always happens after a Sunday evening game, autographs always happen after a Saturday night game, and group photos are just whenever a group signs up for it and could happen after any game.
Just a few more photos of post-game skate to enjoy!
Post-Post-Game
Post-Post-Game
I like to call this part Post-Post-Game because my job doesn't just end after post-game! After I get home, I organize all my pictures for the night in specific folders.
The Organization Process
I start with two master folders:
Raw (this is the picture format I shoot in versus jpg)
2. Nailersv[opposing team]_date
I then copy and paste my template folders within each master folder. These are the pregame, 1st period, 2nd period, 3rd period, and post-game folders.
And within the 1st period and 2nd period folders, I'll have intermission subfolders.
Depending on each game, I could have more subfolders pertaining to specific groups.
And since it's usually pretty late, I call it quits after organizing the photos in their respective locations.
The next day I'll go through and delete the bad ones while also touching up the good ones in editing.
However, I don't edit much other than the white balance, maybe play with noise reduction, and even do some cropping and leveling.
For those who may not know or understand photography terms, I'll explain the bolded text above.
white balance: this refers to the color temperature of a photo; for example, if a picture is "too yellow" (aka warm) I will correct the image using cooler colors. With white balance, I mainly try to obtain a color that seems normal to the human eye.
too warm
corrected image
too cool
corrected image
noise reduction: because the arena has low lighting, I have to increase what is called ISO to produce a brighter image. I won't go into detail on exactly what ISO is but a higher ISO leads to more noise, which is just a visual distortion to an image much like grain. Therefore to fix the image, I try to reduce the amount of noise.
with more noise (before editing)
with less noise (after editing)
cropping: this is pretty self-explanatory but sometimes if I feel an image has too much wasted space, I might crop the image to give it a better eye-appealing result
leveling: because I'm not perfect and might not always be holding my camera straight (or level), I will correct my tilted errors by leveling the image. This again makes it more appealing to the audience. Sometimes cropping and leveling go hand-in-hand as leveling an image will lead to trimmed edges.
not level
level
Not exactly sure what I was doing here nor how I didn't notice this terrible tilt...but thanks to editing, I was able to correct this mistake!
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As I mentioned earlier, when editing these photos I try my best to make them as appealing as I can to the human eye. That means the appropriate coloring, leveling, and the least amount of noise as possible.
After finalizing all the photos, I zip the folders and send them on their way.
And finally, my job is done!
A few words to close...
A few words to close...
For the most part, I usually followed the same structure for each game. However, that didn’t mean each game was the same. There were different fans, different game outcomes, different attitudes, different places to shoot from, and to me, that’s what I liked about this internship. It might have been the same team, same place, same workers, but there was always something different that happened. And that is what kept each game and each night interesting and fun. I also thoroughly enjoy hockey which added to the intensity and love for not only the game, but for the job as well.
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