Tasha Wait and daughter Hailey, 7, sled down the hill on the fresh fallen snow at Sertoma Park Saturday, February 28, 2009.  (Jim Lee/Sioux City Journal)

I have five photo assignments today, but I still managed to sneak in a little time for a quick feature photo. Like many people, I’m hoping this is the last snow of the winter, but considering it’s not even March, yet, I’m sure we are due for at least a couple more storms.

Photo was taken with my Canon 50D camera and 200/2 lens with a 1.4 Extender attached. Exposure was on manual at ASA 200,  1/2000 second at f/5.6.

North’s Nick Tillo battles for a rebound with East’s Adam Woodbury and Taylor Pollow during basketball action at East High Friday, February 27, 2009.  (Jim Lee/Sioux City Journal)

Once again I was shooting basketball with two camera bodies, one with my 85/1.8 lens, the other with my 200/2. The shot above was taken with my 50D camera and 85mm lens, exposure was ASA 3200, 1/500 second at f/2. The center of the gym was a bit brighter, so I was shooting at 1/640 second at f/2 with my 200mm lens.

PHOTO GALLERY

North’s Erica Denney, right, steals the ball from Council Bluffs Lewis Central’s Kyley Simmons during basketball action in Mapleton Tuesday, February 24 2009. (Jim Lee/Sioux City Journal)

Basketball season is almost over, and I just now am starting to feel like I’m getting the hang of juggling the 200 f/2 lens on one body while also shooting with a second body. I often shoot with two camera bodies, but the 200/2 weighs 5.6 pounds. Add on the camera, batteries and grip and the total weight for the one body is a little over 8 pounds. That may not sound like much, but when you’re juggling two bodies while trying to shoot fast moving action, it takes some practice.

The shot above was taken with my Canon 50D and 200mm lens. I also have shots in the gallery taken with my 40D and 85mm lens. Both cameras were set at ASA 3200, 1/500 second at f/2.

PHOTO GALLERY

Featured artist Michele Weir works with the Audubon Jazz Choir during the Lewis and Clark Jazz Festival at Western Iowa Technical Community College Tuesday, February 23, 2009. (Jim Lee/Sioux City Journal)

The photos are rather straight forward from this event. I went in with two cameras, my 50D with the 70-200/2.8 IS lens and my 40D with a 28/1.8 lens. The exposures varied depending on the room, I was shooting between ASA 1000 and 3200. The most challenging part was shooting without being distracting, since it was a music competition I couldn’t move around much which made it difficult to get a variety of angles.

PHOTO GALLERY

The Heelan band performs.

North’s Nick Tillo looks to pass the ball as Council Bluffs Lewis Central’s Nate Jones defends during basketball action at North High Monday, February 23, 2009.(Jim Lee/Sioux City Journal)

Photo shot with a Canon 50D camera and 85mm lens at ASA 3200, 1/500 second at f/2.

PHOTO GALLERY

Grand march at the Iowa State Wrestling Tournament.

So, under the category of “more than you wanted to know,” I have a tendency to get nose  bleeds rather easily, especially during the dry winter months. I was photographing Sibley-Ocheydan’s Ted Kruger in the 2A 152 pound match during the Iowa State Wrestling Tournament in Des Moines when, during the third period, my nose decided to start gushing.

I made a mad dash to the nearest restroom to grab some tissue, but I also had to rush back to photograph Akron-Westfield’s Joe Sievert wrestling for a 1A title at 160 pounds. I shoved tissue up my nose, washed up, and ran back out to photograph Sievert winning his match. It wasn’t exactly my finest moment, but I got the shots.

You can see photos of Sievert and out other area wrestlers who competed in the finals in the photo gallery.

Akron-Westfield’s Joe Sievert wrestles Guthrie Center’s Blake Faucher during the 1A 160 pound championship match at the Iowa State High School Wrestling Meet in Des Moines Saturday, February 21, 2009. (Jim Lee/Sioux City Journal)

Reporter Jesse Claeys arranged for a few local tattoo artist to come to the Journal office Sunday to be photographed for a story about the artists favorite tattoos. We do have have a grungy, makeshift studio set up for video upstairs, but since it was Sunday, and since no one else was around in the office, and since I had to set up lights anyway, I decided to use the spacious front lobby of the Journal office.

I used two shoe-mount flashes, one on a light stand with a white diffusion panel as my main light and sat one on a counter top to use as a back light. I also used a gold reflector to add some fill light.