Galleries

On the job training, one period as an NHL photographer

: James Wisniewski motions to a teammate prior to an offensive zone faceoff. (Jim Diamond/Rinkside Report)

: Roman Josi carries the puck up ice. (Jim Diamond/Rinkside Report)

: Tim Erixon at the blue line. (Jim Diamond/Rinkside Report)

: Mattias Ekholm takes down Michael Chaput. (Jim Diamond/Rinkside Report)

: Roman Josi skates back hard to retrieve a puck on a Nashville power play. (Jim Diamond/Rinkside Report)

: Pekka Rinne (Jim Diamond/Rinkside Report)

: Paul Gaustad goes low to win a faceoff. (Jim Diamond/Rinkside Report)

: Predators team picture as they gather around Pekka Rinne. (Jim Diamond/Rinkside Report)

: Craig Smith gets tied up with former RPI Engineer Jerry D’Amigo. (Jim Diamond/Rinkside Report)

: Seth Jones surveying the ice on a Nashville power play. (Jim Diamond/Rinkside Report)

: Taylor Beck skates away from the stick check of Jared Boll. (Jim Diamond/Rinkside Report)

: Pekka Rinne during player introductions (Jim Diamond/Rinkside Report)

By Jim Diamond

Photographers who ply their trade shooting NHL games have incredibly difficult jobs. Just how difficult of a job it is was really impressed upon me Monday night.

For the first period of Monday’s preseason game against the visiting Columbus Blue Jackets, Predators team photographer John Russell and the team’s PR staff allowed me the opportunity of trying to shoot the action from one of the photo holes in the glass rinkside in Bridgestone Arena.

Russell is a genius and he’s been to the mountain, as one of his pictures has appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated.

Before the game, Russell gave me my assigned location, on the glass at the bottom of Section 118, next to the new Lexus Lounge where the players enter the ice prior to the start of each period. The hole is close to the faceoff dot. I was able to sit on the last step of the stairwell, a perfect height to reach the photo hole.

More after the jump…

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Photo set from Nashville Predators and Florida Panthers rookie game

Photos taken at the rookie game played between the Nashville Predators and Florida Panthers Sunday, September 14, 2014 at the Ford Ice Center in Antioch, Tennessee.

: Nashville defenseman Garrett Noonan fires a shot from inside the blue line. (Jim Diamond/Rinkside Report)

: Nashville’s Kevin Fiala carries the puck around Florida defenseman Mackenzie Weegar. (Jim Diamond/Rinkside Report)

: Nashville’s Filip Forsberg carries the puck off of the left wall. (Jim Diamond/Rinkside Report)

: Nashville’s Miikka Salomaki cuts across the blue line toward the slot. (Jim Diamond/Rinkside Report)

: Kevin Fiala (Jim Diamond/Rinkside Report)

: Florida’s Keevin Cutting on the left side. (Jim Diamond/Rinkside Report)

: Florida’s Jayce Hawryluk carries the puck into the Nashville zone with defenseman Garrett Noonan in pursuit. (Jim Diamond/Rinkside Report)

: Florida’s Logan Shaw fights off Nashville’s Garrett Noonan. (Jim Diamond/Rinkside Report)

: Florida’s Juha Lammikko carries the puck through the neutral zone. (Jim Diamond/Rinkside Report)

: Nashville’s Brendan Leipsic drives through the slot. (Jim Diamond/Rinkside Report)

: Nashville’s Joe Pendenza and Florida’s Juho Lammikko await a faceoff. (Jim Diamond/Rinkside Report)

: Panthers forward Vincent Trocheck carries the puck toward Predators defenseman Jimmy Oligny. (Jim Diamond/Rinkside Report)

: Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad with the puck inside the blue line. (Jim Diamond/Rinkside Report)

Photo set from Nashville Predators and Tampa Bay Lighting rookie game

Photos taken at the rookie game played between the Nashville Predators and Tampa Bay Lightning Saturday, September 13, 2014 at the Ford Ice Center in Antioch, Tennessee. (Jim Diamond/Rinkside Report)

: Photos taken at the rookie game played between the Nashville Predators and Tampa Bay Lightning Saturday, September 13, 2014 at the Ford Ice Center in Antioch, Tennessee.

: Nashville’s Jimmy Oligny delivers a hit on Tampa Bay’s Cameron Darcy at center Ice.

: Tampa Bay’s Cedric Paquette handles the puck in the neutral zone.

: Tampa Bay’s Tanner Richard carries the puck on the rush.

: A group of players congregates in front of the Nashville net.

: Tampa Bay’s Jonathan Drouin carries the puck across the blue line.

: Tampa Bay’s Cameron Darcy handles the puck in the offensive zone.

: Tampa Bay defenseman Anthony DeAngelo settles the puck down at the left point.

: Tampa Bay’s Jonathan Drouin waits for a pass at the right post.

: Nashville defenseman Jonathan Diaby handling the puck.

: Nashville defenseman Garrett Noonan looks to put a shot on goal.

: Lightning defenseman Dominik Masin with some room to carry the puck.

: Nashville forward Viktor Arvidsson with a one-timer. That flex tho.

: Predators forward Brendan Leipsic is given a rough ride to the ice courtesy of Tampa Bay’s jonathan Drouin.

Photo set from Boston Bruins and Florida Panthers rookie game

Some photos of the Florida Panthers and Boston Bruins rookie game played September 13, 2014 at the Ford Ice Center in Antioch, Tennessee. (Jim Diamond/Rinkside Report)