And… just in case you didn’t see yourself in the last video…

Just over 900 images comprise this time-lapse video of the transition area at this year’s Woolsports mini-Mussel sprint triathlon at Seneca Lake State Park. The camera was set to photograph every 20 seconds, continuously, for 5 hours. (Starting well before your 750 meter swim – 16.1 mile bike – 3.2 mile run) Did I catch you in transition?

“Flight of the Bumblebee” Nikolai Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov, performed by The US Army Band

Countdown to one of my favorite events of the year…

Skaneateles High School senior Erin Callahan gets scooped up by her cousin, Rory, after jumping into Skaneateles Lake at Clift Park Sunday with the rest of the graduating class of 2011. Lauren Long / The Post-Standard

We have been busy busy busy this weekend covering high school graduations! Skaneateles High School is one of my favorites. Each year the students run for the lake as soon as the ceremony is finished and jump, flip, cannonball into the cool water for tradition’s sake. I went for a different angle this year, wading out into the shoulder deep water. (I don’t ever remember it being this deep!) Here’s a VIDEO of the actual jump if you’re interested.

Many in New York, and across the country for that matter, had something to celebrate today after a NY Senate vote legalized same-sex marriage in New York State. It’s historic occasions like this for which I’m in the habit of visiting Newseum to see how newspapers shared the news. I like seeing the size and placement of photos, headlines and general design, among other things.

Here are a few of interest:

The New York Times – New York Daily News – The Post-Standard – Albany Times Union – Washington Post – San Francisco Chronicle

Annalise Forbes, 3, of Syracuse, holds a sign with her mom, Rebecca Forbes, during a rally Saturday outside First English Lutheran Church to celebrate marriage equality in New York State. At left is her other mom, Kate Forbes. Lauren Long / The Post-Standard

More from today’s rally here on Syracuse.com

A lot of amateur photographers question the adequacy of their camera equipment. While quality equipment certainly helps the cause, I try to help people realize it’s how you see that really matters, more so than how much you spend.

Here’s a good example of what you can do with a pretty ordinary point and shoot camera. And a great example of why you should carry one with you if you don’t want to miss a picture when you see it. This image is straight out of the camera. Untoned. Uncropped. And just as I remember it when I took the photo en route to buying a loaf of fresh bread from the Columbus Baking Co. in Syracuse.

A few key points to remember if you want to make the most with a pocket cam:

1) Take advantage of whatever manual settings the camera has to offer. Even if there isn’t a full manual mode, most cameras give you the ability to bump the exposure up or down by a certain amount. In this case, I intentionally nudged it down by just under a stop (-2/3) to be sure I didn’t lose detail in the reds, and to take advantage of the dramatic late afternoon light, which wouldn’t have been so dramatic if the picture was overexposed.

2) On a similar note, many cameras allow you to choose the ISO setting, rather than have the camera do so automatically. As a general rule, use the lowest ISO setting possible for minimal noise, unless you’re intentionally going for the “film grain” effect. In this case, the camera likely would have selected a low ISO anyway, based on the bright, outdoor conditions. But it’s good to have an understanding of the film speed equivalent, now that we don’t have to select the actual boxes off the shelf anymore.

3) Think of the camera as a picture frame. Hold that frame up to the image you’re trying to capture each and every time, as though what you see will be exactly what you’ll hang on your wall. If the subject matter is too small, get closer. It the sun is going the wrong way, reorient yourself. If you don’t like the car parked alongside the curb, move the camera to crop it out. The more you do this exercise, the more you’ll become truly aware of what’s in front of you. And the better your pictures will be as a result.

Suburb of Rochester, New York