I’m on vacation! I’ll be making a couple of day trips, but the highlight of my vacation will be watching the Sioux City Roller Dames takes on the Big Mouth Mickies in roller derby action at the Long Lines Family Rec Center Friday, April 24, at 8 p.m. You can find more information about the team at siouxcityrollerdames.com.
East’s Payton Pry, left, and Lisa Dennis celebrate a goal against North during soccer action at the East Middle School field Monday, April 19, 2009. (Jim Lee/Sioux City Journal)
Michaela Ramm, 15, takes fresh baked cookies out of the oven at Blessed Sacrament School Sunday, April 19, 2009. Members of the Good Luck Clover 4H club baked 1200 cookies and assembled care packages for troops overseas. (Jim Lee/Sioux City Journal)
Me trying to stay dry at the Sioux City Relays.
Usually I really enjoy shooting track. But days like his I make an exception. It’s been a steady drizzle all day long. On the bright side, at least there was no wind to blow the rain into my face.
I go high-tech when it comes to protective rain-gear for my camera, a plastic garbage bag and a rubber band. It works. And to keep me dry I use a golf umbrella and shove the handle down the front of my jacket to hold it so I can keep both hands free for shooting. It almost works.
Today all of the shots were with the 200/2 lens and a 1.4X extender. I like the extra reach I get with the 2X, but it also reduces the light by two f/stops, giving me a 400mm f/4 lens. With the cloud cover it was dark enough that a little extras speed was needed and the 1.4X only reduces the lens by one f/stop, giving me a 280mm f/2.8 lens, which was fast enough.
Buena Vista’s Natalie Olorundami wins the women’s 100 hurdles during the Sioux City Relays at Olsen Stadium Saturday, April 18, 2009. . (Jim Lee/Sioux City Journal)
With is arm in a cast, Morningside’s Ryan Gass competes in the high jump during the Sioux City Relays at Olsen Stadium Friday, April 16, 2009. (Jim Lee/Sioux City Journal)
The Sioux City Relays is one of my favorite sporting events to shoot each year. Partially because track and field is fun to shoot, and partially because spring is finally here and it is so good to be shooting outdoors. I just hope the forecast for rain during day 2 of the relays tomorrow is wrong, or at least that the rain holds off until I am done shooting.
Most of the actions photos today were with my Canon 50D camera and the 200/2 lens with a 2X extender. The high jump shots were taken with the 200 without the extender. And there is one wide shot taken with my 40D and 28/1.8 lens.
Heelan’s Will Maly out jumps East’s Mitch Amundsen as he heads the ball during soccer action at the East Middle School field Monday, April 13, 2009. (Jim Lee/Sioux City Journal)
My life would be so much easier if all of the local sports teams would have printed copies of their team roster. I showed up for the East/Heelan soccer game and the Heelan coach had one ready to go for me, but it was like pulling teeth trying to get a roster for East High. Luckily one of the East parents was able to help me with a few names, but there were still some good photos I had to pass up for the paper because I couldn’t ID all of the East players.
All of the soccer shots were taken with my Canon 50D camera and 200 f/2 lens with a 2X Extender.
East’s Juan Cruz kicks the ball during soccer action against Heelan.
Andrew Goodell takes aim with a padded arrow during a gathering of Gehenna Plains, the local chapter of Amtgard .
Easter Sunday. It’s a slow day at work and I only had one assignment, and that was for Siouxland Life magazine. So I decided to cruise for some enterprise art and was driving through Chris Larsen Park and saw the local Amtgard group having their weekly battle. I’ve photographed them before, but it makes for fun photos, so what the heck.
If you not familiar with Amtgard, it’s basically a a live-action fantasy role playing and combat game where they use padded weapons. The local Amtgard group, called Gehenna Plains, meets almost every Sunday afternoon at Chris Larson Park. You can find them just west of Veteran’s Memorial Bridge near the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center.
Michael Sandstorm battles Charles Burton.
Sioux City’s David Harley runs an interception back for a touchdown against Sioux Falls during Bandits arena football action at the Tyson Events Center Saturday, April 11, 2009. (Jim Lee/Sioux City Journal)
A couple of highlights from the Bandits arena football game: Defensive lineman David Harley intercepting a pass for a touchdown and the Outlaw Girls. Both of these shots happened to be with my 40D and 70-200/2.8 lens. Most of the shots in the photo gallery were taken with my 50D and 200/2 lens with a 1.4X Extender.
The Outlaw Girls perform between quarters.
Brenda Hernandez holds her son, Christian, as he sports bunny ears.
30 seconds! That’s about how long it took for the children to pick up 25,000 eggs at Grandview Park this morning. I took both cameras, one with a 70-200/2.8 lens, the other with a 10-22mm lens, and shot quick.
Children and parents rush to pick up eggs during the annual East egg hunt at Grandview Park Saturday, April 11, 2009.
Nebraska Wesleyan’s Cory Hilgenkamp is forced out at second as Morningside’s Jared Noteboom throws to first for the double play during baseball action at Lewis and Clark Park Friday, April 10, 2009. (Jim Lee/Sioux City Journal)
2X tele-converters seem to have developed a bad reputation among many photographers. But I sure don’t mind using my 2X Extender on my 200mm f/2 lens. I’ve noticed that when I’ve tried the 2X on my 70-200/2.8 zoom, the results are less than stellar. But it makes for a good combination with my 200, giving me a 400mm f/4 lens that wrks great for outdoor sports.