Close & Personal.

[wulos]

Thought some of you may like to see just how close and personal ice hockey photography can get.
Earlier in the year I was shooting a game between the benches when during a hurried linechange one of the players came over the boards a bit quicker then I was anticipating, making contact with the front of my lens in the process....
Luckily? I insist on keeping a UV filter fitted on all my glassware, and in this case proved to be cheaper & easier then a full on insurance claim. If you look closely at the filter, you can see the two gouges from both edges of the skate (Ice hockey skates have a channel sharpened down the middle - guys skate on 2 edges roughly 1/4" apart on each skate)

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y38/Wulos/AIHL/2008/AIHL/Carbs_filter3.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y38/Wulos/AIHL/2008/AIHL/Carbs_filter.jpg

[brucep]

Did he break off your lens hood, Mark? I'm a strong believer in both lens hoods (that's why L lenses come with them) and quality protective filters.

[marshall2]

Thats crazy! Good job you had a filter on. Glad there wasn't any more damage.

[wulos]

Due to the tight confines of where I was shooting I wasn't using the hood in this instance - though as you rightly point out, it may well have saved more substantial damge (may even have saved the filter in this case)
On the flipside, I have also seen a hood act as a 'funnel' directing a rock at a rally event into a lens, of a photographer that was lazy in turning away. I questioned the wisdom of this guy as he had absolutely no safety where he was shooting & was lucky that it was only a roch, and not a car he found heading his way.
UV filters + lens hood = good protection.

[Skippy]

Thank goodness this was you.

Skippy