…Which means the HWS Commencement was held outdoors on the quad… Which means even better pictures than when it’s held indoors! I really enjoy photographing this particular graduation with such vibrant colors and dynamic faculty and students to work with. I think of the bagpipers as an added bonus.

Just 6 hours, 36 minutes and 9 seconds until the gun goes off today for the Cleveland Marathon! Between my regular Saturday night at the paper and some freelance work shooting Hobart and William Smith Colleges’ Commencement in the morning, I had to ditch the hubby and the 26.2 miles he’ll be tackling once the sun comes up. I wish I could be there to cheer him on! (Is it normal that I have some pre-race jitters and I’m not even running??)

Syracuse University sports are BIG around here. And the men’s lacrosse team is once again in the running for the NCAA Championship with tomorrow’s quarterfinal game against Maryland. They’re out of town this weekend so I thought I’d post a few photos from earlier in the season and wish them well!

Five years ago this month, my husband and I moved to the Finger Lakes after buying a house in Geneva. It was work that brought us here, but it didn’t take long to realize what a beautiful place we’d come to, and we’ve been exploring ever since – by car, by bike, by ski, kayak and canoe. After all this time, I still think exploring by bicycle is the best way to experience the Finger Lakes. This post is really a little plug for the Geneva Bicycle Center whose team of cycling experts has been an incredible resource and inspiration for us and many others in the area. The bike shop schedules regular rides throughout the week including a Saturday morning ladies ride, during which I snapped a few photos last week!

I thought I might jump on the bandwagon, be it a week or so late, and post some photos from the Inauguration now that President Obama has hit the 100-day mark in office. The pictures are centered around a group from Syracuse who took an overnight bus trip to Washington for the event. While I didn’t have the vantage point of the small number of photographers perched in front of the U.S. Capitol, I had the freedom to wander the National Mall at will, capturing the common experience for the majority in attendance.

Our two buses from Syracuse arrived before 4 a.m. and the more than 100 people, ranging from teenagers to 88-year-old Bessie Cooper Noble, took a train into the city to join the masses en route to the Capitol building. I am so grateful that I was asked to cover the event, and looking back through these photos has reminded me that it truly was a moment in history worth being a part of.

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The Syracuse Press Club presented awards to a list of Post-Standard writers, photographers and editors this weekend as part of their annual Scholarship and Professional Recognition event. A slideshow of winning entries from our paper is posted on Syracuse.com where you’ll see my “Refusing to Jump” image from the Syracuse Sporthorse Tournament last October. (The horse and rider walked away fine!)