From discovering a new sport to finding my own approach to ice hockey photography.
From trying something new to spending weekends at the rink
My journey into ice hockey photography started with a simple idea: expanding my sports photography portfolio and exploring sports I hadn't photographed before.
A friend of mine played ice hockey for Hijs Hokij Den Haag, representing both the U23 and Eredivisie teams. With De Uithof located close to home, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to try something different.
I attended a few games, not really knowing what to expect. I had experience photographing other sports, but ice hockey turned out to be a completely different challenge.
The speed, the lighting and the constant movement made those first games particularly difficult. I didn't understand the flow of the game yet. Every movement was new to me, and instead of anticipating what might happen, I was constantly reacting to what was already happening.
But something unexpected happened. The team and players really liked the photographs.
That led to invitations to photograph a few away games. Before I knew it, I was spending almost every weekend following Hijs Hokij, both at home and away.
I travelled to Eindhoven and Nijmegen, and when the U23 team reached the finals, I joined them in Amsterdam. While the Eredivisie team didn't have the season they had hoped for, the experience gave me plenty of opportunities to develop my photography.
What started as an experiment for my portfolio gradually became a regular part of my weekends.
© Alger Lazo / Perubiano
© Alger Lazo / Perubiano
Finding the right lens for ice hockey
One thing I've learned from photographing different sports is that equipment choices can completely change how you approach a game.
My main setup is the Sony ZV-E10 paired with the Tamron 70–180mm f/2.8.
This has become my go-to combination for ice hockey. The constant f/2.8 aperture helps in challenging lighting conditions, while the zoom range allows me to switch between medium shots and close-up action without changing lenses.
It's particularly useful when photographing players approaching the goal, physical battles along the boards or individual moments on the ice.
However, it has its limitations.
With the relatively confined shooting positions around the rink, capturing wider compositions can be difficult, especially when the action moves close to where I'm standing.
That's why I've started experimenting with other lenses.
Experimenting with a 50mm prime.
I've also photographed games using a 50mm f/1.8 prime lens.
The biggest advantage is its wider maximum aperture. Compared with f/2.8, shooting at f/1.8 lets in approximately 1⅓ stops more light.
In an arena like De Uithof, where lighting can be challenging, that makes a noticeable difference. I can maintain a fast shutter speed while using a lower ISO.
The downside is obvious: I can't zoom.
Instead, I have to work with a fixed focal length and be more deliberate about my compositions.
However, the additional light can produce cleaner images, giving me more flexibility when cropping during post-production. Of course, cropping still reduces resolution, so how much I can crop depends on the original framing.
1/1600 sec at f/ 1.8, ISO 3200, 50 mm. © Alger Lazo / Perubiano
1/800 sec at f/2.8, ISO 4000, 125 mm. © Alger Lazo / Perubiano
Going wider with the 16–50mm
During a recent game this season, I experimented with another lens: the Sony 16–50mm kit lens.
I wanted to capture something different.
Instead of focusing exclusively on individual players, I wanted wider compositions showing more of the action, the rink and the atmosphere surrounding the game.
The wider focal length made that possible.
However, the lens comes with a significant disadvantage for indoor sports photography: its maximum aperture ranges from f/3.5 to f/5.6, depending on the focal length.
That means less available light compared with my f/2.8 zoom or f/1.8 prime. To maintain a fast shutter speed, I often have to accept a higher ISO.
Fortunately, with careful editing and noise reduction, I've managed to achieve results I'm happy with.
I don't use this lens throughout the entire game. Usually, I'll take just three to five photographs with it before switching back to my main setup.
For me, it's about adding variety to the final gallery rather than replacing my telephoto lens.
1/200 sec at f/3.5, ISO 2500, 16 mm. © Alger Lazo / Perubiano
The technical challenge: speed, light and white ice
Ice hockey is probably one of the more technically demanding sports I've photographed.
You're dealing with extremely fast movement, artificial lighting and a large white surface that dominates most compositions.
And every arena is different.
De Uithof, where Hijs Hokij plays its home games, is particularly challenging because of the relatively dark lighting.
To freeze the action, I generally use a minimum shutter speed of 1/1000 second.
I've also started experimenting more with Auto ISO, something I've previously used successfully while photographing football and baseball.
Instead of constantly adjusting ISO during the game, I can concentrate on shutter speed, aperture and, most importantly, following the action.
Auto ISO isn't perfect, especially when the large amount of white ice influences the camera's exposure metering. But by checking my exposures and making adjustments when necessary, I've been getting good results.
Getting the ice actually white
One thing I always do before photographing a game is check and adjust my white balance.
From experience, I've learned that no two ice rinks have exactly the same lighting conditions.
Different artificial lights can produce different color temperatures, sometimes leaving the ice looking blue, yellow or even slightly green.
And personally, I want the ice to look white.
My editing approach for ice hockey is therefore quite different from how I approach football or baseball.
With those sports, I sometimes experiment more with color grading to create a particular atmosphere.
For ice hockey, color accuracy is my priority.
I want the white ice to look natural, the players' jerseys to retain their actual colors and the overall image to reflect the atmosphere of the arena.
Over time, I've become more consistent with this process. Game after game, I've refined my editing workflow, learning how to balance exposure, white balance and color without applying unnecessary adjustments.
Before-and-after comparison showing white-balance correction. 1/1250 sec at f/1.8, ISO 2500, 50 mm. © Alger Lazo / Perubiano
1/1250 sec at f/1.8, ISO 3200, 50 mm. © Alger Lazo / Perubiano
Learning to photograph more than just the action
Another important lesson has been understanding that a complete ice hockey gallery should tell more than one story.
This season, there are three photographers working with the team.
Naturally, standing next to each other throughout the game would mean capturing almost identical photographs.
The area around the players' benches is also frequently occupied by other local photographers.
So I've been challenging myself to move around the rink and explore different perspectives.
Sometimes I photograph from near the goalkeeper. Other times, I move into the stands or find another position around the rink.
Each location offers something different.
My goal is to create a complete visual story of the game, combining wide, medium and close-up photographs with action, emotions, reactions and smaller moments that might otherwise go unnoticed.
I pay attention to players sitting on the bench, reactions after a goal, conversations between teammates and the atmosphere around the rink.
© Alger Lazo / Perubiano
© Alger Lazo / Perubiano
© Alger Lazo / Perubiano
Learning to anticipate instead of react
Anticipation remains one of my biggest challenges in ice hockey photography.
When I first started, I was constantly following the puck, hoping to catch something interesting.
Now, I'm gradually learning to recognize how players move, where the action might develop and when to prepare for a potential scoring opportunity.
I'm still learning.
Sometimes I anticipate correctly. Other times, the action moves in a completely different direction.
But that's part of what makes photographing ice hockey interesting to me.
Every game gives me another opportunity to understand the sport better and improve my timing.
Another season, another opportunity to grow
Looking back, it's interesting how something that started as a portfolio experiment turned into an experience that has taken me to different cities across the Netherlands.
From my first challenging games at De Uithof to travelling with the team and photographing the U23 finals, I've learned a lot about both ice hockey and my own photography.
And there's still plenty to improve.
This season, I want to continue experimenting with different lenses, improving my technical approach and finding new perspectives around the rink.
I also genuinely enjoy travelling. Being able to explore different cities while photographing a sport I've grown to appreciate makes the experience even better.
I'm looking forward to joining Hijs Hokij for more away games, discovering new arenas and continuing to develop my photography along the way.
What started as an opportunity to try something new has become a journey I'm excited to continue.
1/1250 sec at f/1.8, ISO 8000, 50 mm. © Alger Lazo / Perubiano
