CARDBOARD PHOTOGRAPHY - Ryan Smyth

I've recently gone through my base cards and pulled a bunch of singles out that I thought had some great photography on them. I hope to do a more in-depth look at hockey card photograph and photographers in the new year.

This is one of the cards that really caught my eye...for a number of reasons.

2000/01 Topps Stadium Club
#45 Ryan Smyth

Now, the card design is not complex at all - which often makes a great photo stand out even more (no distractions).

What this card design does though is make the photo space even more rectangular. There is a lot of space at the bottom of the card that is just not photo available.

This Ryan Smyth pic suits this card layout perfectly. The framing is bang on and the range from one side to the other is fantastic.

The wraparound shot is one that does not get used too often. I don't know why that is. It's a great opportunity for capturing the action. Take a look at the intricacies of the photo - the stretch of the stick and puck, the tight turn on the skates (creating just a bit of snow), the facial expression (which is timed perfect) and the opposing player trying to chase him down.

It's a split second away from determining whether he scores or not, and any earlier and the shot just wouldn't have the same level of anticipation or urgency.

A photo like this would never work on a vertical card, and if the horizontal layout allowed for more head to toe space, the shot would not have had the same impact. The tighter framing really gives accentuates the intensity.

A great photo.