About Lenspiration
Meet James Staddon, photographer & photography coach
Hi! I’m James Staddon
I’m a landscape, event, and wedding photographer from West Virginia
Ever since I was young, I’ve been captivated by God's creation. I was inspired by my uncle's pictures of landscapes and the places he traveled, and his work made me excited about exploring photography. I had been taking pictures since the early 2000s, but in 2013 I jumped into pro photography and started teaching with Lenspiration.
I know what it’s like to struggle through years of taking bad pictures and feeling confused by all the camera settings. It doesn’t have to be a struggle, though! I love to help students feel confident using their camera and learn how to “think like a photographer” so they can take beautiful photos too.
My friends and family would say that I love to take pictures. I would say that I love helping others take pictures. Through the assignments, workshops and coaching offered through Lenspiration, I love to see inspiration planted, nurtured, and expressed for the glory of God in the work of other photographers.
James Staddon, Founder of Lenspiration, professional photographer, and photography coach
View My Work
The Mission
The mission of Lenspiration is to provide wholesome, family-friendly photography training to help photographers of any skill level take satisfying pictures that they’re excited to share with others. We want to help each photographer develop an eye for beauty through real-life photo assignments, online training, and hands-on workshops. Many of our students enjoy this training through our membership but we also have many free ways to learn photography as well.
At Lenspiration, we have one foundation for deciding what is “wholesome” and “family-friendly”: the inspired Word of God (see Defining "Wholesomeness" below). We encourage our members and students to look to the Bible to determine for themselves what wholesome and family-friendly mean for them.
What does “family friendly” mean to us?
Defining “Wholesomeness” (What counts as wholesome and beautiful?)
| Objective | Subjective | |
| Beauty | That which is pleasing to the eye | That which is pleasing to my eye |
| Moral Beauty | That which is pleasing to the eye and in line with a moral standard (2) | That which is pleasing to my eye and in line with my moral standard (3) |
| Wholesome Beauty | That which is pleasing to the eye and in line with the standards of the God of the Bible (1) | That which is pleasing to my eye and in line with my understanding of the standards of the God of the Bible (4) |
1. In the beginning, everything that God made was good. Everything that existed was objectively wholesomely beautiful (Genesis 1:31).
2. When mankind chose to follow their own moral standards over God's moral standards, sin entered the world, shattering universal objective wholesome beauty and introduced the confusion of individual, objective moral beauty, ie. mankind choosing for themselves what is right and wrong (Romans 3:10-18).
3. As a descendant of Adam and recipient of his sinful nature, I am apt to follow moral standards that I set for myself, so my perspective on beauty, without completely factoring in God's perspective, is subjective moral beauty (Romans 5:14).
4. As a Christian, however, I am now a recipient of the nature of Jesus Christ. I no longer desire to follow my own moral standards, so my perspective on beauty, to the best of my ability to understand God's perspective, is now subjective wholesome beauty (II Peter 1:2).
I am not God so I can not completely know true, objective wholesome beauty. But it is my desire to seek it,
Thus, it is my desire that all content recommended by Lenspiration or displayed on the
Statement of Faith
Here at Lenspiration, participation by all photographers is welcome and encouraged regardless of race, age, gender, religion, background, persuasion, or opinion! We all have something to learn from each other.
- The Authority of the Bible: We believe that the Bible, comprised of sixty-six books, is the only inspired Word of God, without error in the original manuscripts, and God’s special revelation to mankind (John 10:35, II Timothy 3:16, II Peter 1:16-21); that it is the final authority and guide for all faith and practice (Psalm 119:9-16, 105-112; Romans 10:17, II Timothy 3:17); and that it constitutes the divine rule by which all people will be held accountable (John 12:47-50).
- The Triune God: We believe God is triune, eternally existing as one in essence, yet in three distinct persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Deuteronomy 6:4, Matthew 3:16-17, 28:19; John 17, 16:26); and that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are equal in all power and authority (John 6:27, 20:28, 16:14).
- The Deity and Humanity of Christ: We believe Jesus the Son is the second person of the Trinity (Matthew 28:19, Luke 3:21-22, Acts 5:3-5); that Jesus is God incarnate, “God in the Flesh” (John 1:1, 14; Romans 9:5, Philippians 2:5-6); that Jesus was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary as a real man and that He is fully God and fully Man (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 2:6-14; Galatians 4:4-5); that this birth made Him the perfect substitute and atoning sacrifice for our sins (Isaiah 53:6, 2 Corinthians 5:21); that Jesus rose up from the grave on the third day (Luke 24:39, I Corinthians 15:4); and that His resurrection is proof that all true believers will rise as well (I Corinthians 15:20, John 6:39).
- The Creation and Fall of Humankind: We believe humankind was created in God’s image (Genesis 1:27, 2:7, 9:6), that Adam rebelled against God and passed sin to all humankind (Genesis 3, Romans 5:12-14), and that sin has ruined humankind and creation, resulting in spiritual lostness, death, and separation from God (Genesis 3, Romans 3:23, 5:12-21, 6:23, 7:18, 8:19-23; Ephesians 2:1-3).
- The Salvation of the Lost: We believe salvation from sin comes by God’s grace through faith alone, on the sole basis of Jesus Christ’s atoning death and victorious resurrection (John 3:16, Romans 3:23, 5:8, 6:23; Ephesians 2:8-9, I Peter 3:18); that all who trust in Christ for salvation are forever declared justified in God’s sight; and that they will be progressively sanctified by the Word and the Spirit, and will ultimately be glorified (Romans 3:22-8:32, I Peter 1:3-5, John 5:24).
- The Church: We Believe in one global Church under the headship of Jesus Christ and in the local church as the biblically ordained expression of the universal Church in localized assembly (Ephesians 1:22-23, 2:11-22, 4:1-16; Colossians 1:18), that the Church is made up of all those who have received new life through faith in Christ and are thereby indwelt and sealed by the Holy Spirit (Matthew 26:28, Luke 22:20, Acts 2:37-47, 6:14; Hebrews 9:15-28), and that Christ has commissioned the Church and the Spirit has empowered the Church to share the Gospel with the whole world (Matthew 28:19-20, John 20:21, Acts 1:8).
- The Literal Return of Christ to Earth: We believe Jesus Christ will come back to earth the way He left, in order to judge the living and the dead (Acts 1:11, 17:30-31; I Thessalonians 4:13-18), and that the day of His return is not for us to know, but could happen at any moment (Mark 13:33-37, I Thessalonians 5:1-6).
- The Future Judgment: We Believe God will assign people to their eternal destination in the last days (Daniel 12:2, John 5:28-29), that those who refuse God’s loving offer of salvation will be assigned to hell, a place of eternal torment and separation from relationship with God (Matthew 5:29-30, Luke 16:19-31, Revelation 20:10, 15), and only those who have placed their faith in God’s promised Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ, will be assigned to heaven (John 14:1-2, Romans 4:1-8, Revelation 21:1-4). We believe Christ’s kingdom will never end and look forward to life in the world to come (Isaiah 65:17-25, Ezekial 47:12, Daniel 7:13-14, Revelation 21:1-22:6).
Thank you for your interest in
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If you appreciate the mission of Lenspiration, we’d love to have your support! Sponsor a student, contribute money for prizes for the monthly photo assignments, or give towards the general costs of running the business.
More About James
I enjoy traveling, hiking, camping, researching, Ultimate Frisbee, family vacations, and exploring new places! You might enjoy this amazing map I've created of good places to photograph, complete with trail notes.
I love photography because I love being in the outdoors! It's a classroom for experimenting with composition, lighting, and techniques for emotional impact.
Did you know I specialize in conservative Christian wedding photography? Take a look at my wedding portfolio. If you like my style and are looking for a photographer to shoot your wedding, contact me to let me know!
Each year I create fine art wall calendars for both personal and business promotional use. Each template is available for other photographers to use to create their own fine art calendars too.
That’s a bit about me.
Now I’d love to meet you!
Listen In
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Introduce Yourself
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What are we up to?
Follow along with Lenspiration travels…
Because vehicles are not allowed into the cove before sunrise, I had to hike in before light and hope the rainey forecast wouldn`t interfere...and it didn`t praise the Lord!
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Become a photographer: www.lenspiration.com
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#landscapephoto #landscape #landscapephotography #art #nature #photo #godscreation #creation #greatoutdoors #outdoors #explore #optoutside #landscapeshot #canon #outdoorlife #photographyeducator #photoblogger #christianphotographer #photography #photographer #wvphotographer #lenspiration #sunrise #smokeymountains #cadescove #smokies #nationalpark
If you’ve known me for any length of time, you know that I love landscape photography. Who couldn’t?! 😉 God has created this world with so much beauty, and despite the curse of sin that we live with since Adam and Eve (see Genesis 3), His glory is still so richly manifest in His creation.
But as much as I love taking landscape pictures, it’s even better when I get to do it with other photographers! 📸
And that’s why I’m so excited about the upcoming photography workshops that will be landscape-based. CAPTURE Maine is happening this week, May 16-17. Spots have been filling up but we still have space for a few more photographers! So, get the details and register at the link in bio!
If you`re not from Maine but want to get notifications on where I`ll be traveling this year, comment UPDATES to sign up for emails about workshops! 👇
#lenspiration #photographyworkshops #mainephotography #homeschoolphotographyworkshops #homeschoolphotography #photographyeducation #landscapephotography #mainelandscapes #christianphotographer #maine #travelphotographer #homeschoolworkshops
What better place to learn photography than in the classroom of creation? Hope you can join me in Maine on May 16-17 for CAPTURE Maine!
As a photographer, in what areas would you like to grow? Drop your answers in the comments!
A) Shooting in Manual
B) Lighting
C) Composition
D) Post-processing workflow
E) Other
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View details about CAPTURE Maine: https://www.lenspiration.com/workshop/capture-maine/
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#lenspiration #mainephotography #mainephotographyworkshops #mainehomeschoolers #photographersofmaine #homeschoolersofmaine #creationphotographer #christianphotographer #landscapephotographer #maine #photographytraining #photographyeducation #photographyeducationworkshop #photographyworkshop #homeschoolphotography #homeschoolphotographyworkshop
New blog post! On the heels of April`s early-rising Shoot to Serve assignment comes another assignment that just might have you getting out early as well! 5 distinct categories of birds are mentioned in the Bible, and this month, our goal is to capture a quality photo of a bird from each of those five categories . . . Read more at link in bio.
#lenspiration #homeschoolphotography #homeschool #christianphotographer #photographyeducator #photoinspiration #photography #photoblogger
A neat example of Secendary Color Scheme, a combination of secondary hues, in this case, orange and green, photographed last October in the wilderness of Itasca State Park, MN.
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Become a photographer: www.lenspiration.com
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#landscapephoto #landscape #landscapephotography #art #nature #photo #godscreation #creation #greatoutdoors #outdoors #explore #optoutside #landscapeshot #canon #outdoorlife #photographyeducator #photoblogger #christianphotographer #photography #photographer #wvphotographer #lenspiration #colorscheme #color #secondarycolors #shadow #autumn #wilderness #northern
***GIVEAWAY***
Enter to WIN $25 off the CAPTURE Maine Landscape Workshop (May 16-17)!
How to enter:
1. Follow @lenspirationphoto
2. Tag a friend in the comments (each comment counts as a separate entry!)
3. Share this post to your story and tag @lenspirationphoto so I can see it!
Giveaway runs till 11:59 PM Monday, May 5 (EDT). One winner will be announced on Tuesday, May 6,
More details about CAPTURE Maine at link in bio.
#CAPTUREMaine #lenspiration #mainephotography #mainehomeschoolers #homeschoolersofmaine #landscapephotography #photographyworkshop #photographyeducation #maine
New blog post! Every year as I prepare for homeschool conventions, I like to keep the Photo Classes fresh and interesting...unlike this photo. Read more at link in bio!
#lenspiration #homeschoolphotography #homeschool #christianphotographer #photographyeducator #photoinspiration #photography #photoblogger
Looking forward to being in Maine on May 16-17!
During this CAPTURE workshop, Day 1 will include some classroom training and then we`ll put what we learn into practice for shooting golden hour and sunset.
Day 2 will start off with a sunrise shoot, and then we`ll head out to Acadia National Park and photograph as many scenic places there through golden hour and sunset.
If you`re interested in coming and want to learn more, check out the details at the link in bio!
#lenspiration #capturemaine #photographersofmaine #mainephotography #photographersofnewhampshire #photographersofvermont #maine #newengland #homeschoolphotographer #landscapephotographer #homeschoolphotography #photographyeducation #photographyworkshop #mainehomeschoolers #homeschoolersofmaine
Join me in Maine on May 16-17 for a CAPTURE Maine Landscape Photography Workshop!
Each day will run from 9 AM to 9 PM, and is perfect for anyone who is interested in growing their landscape photography skills. A visit to Acadia National Park is planned for Day 2!
Get all the details at link in bio!
#lenspiration #photography #photographyeducation #homeschoolphotographer
#homeschool #learnphotography #photographyclass #photoclass
#photographyworkshop #homeschooling #homeschoolcommunity #photographersofmaine #mainehomeschoolers #homeschoolersofmaine #homeschoolersofnewengland #homeschoolersofvermont #homeschoolworkshop
New blog post! Read more at link in bio.
#lenspiration #homeschoolphotography #homeschool #christianphotographer #photographyeducator #photoinspiration #photography #photoblogger
Looking forward to being in East Texas at the end of the month!
Photography Team members will learn how to effectively capture the moment, create consistently bright and sharp images in difficult lighting situations, expedite the post-processing workflow to meet time-sensitive deadlines, develop Biblical perspective in the art of photography and much more!
Learn more at link in bio.
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@familyconfs #lenspiration #photography #photographysummit
#photographyeducation #homeschoolphotographer
#homeschool #learnphotography #photographyclass
#photographyworkshop #homeschooling
#homeschoolcommunity #homeschoolersoftexas #easttexashomeschoolers #texashomeschoolers
Make plans to join me in east Texas on April 28 - May 2 for "Count it All Joy" Family Conference with @familyconfs!
I`ll be running a Photography Team during the conference, which gives photographers the practice and opportunity to master the skills of covering the photography needs of a large event.
Learn more at link in bio.
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#lenspiration #photography #photographyeducation #homeschoolphotographer
#homeschool #learnphotography #photographyclass
#photoclass #photographyworkshop #homeschooling
#homeschoolcommunity #homeschoolersoftexas #texashomeschoolers #bigsandy #familyconferences #txhomeschoolers #texasphotographers
New blog post! Read more at link in bio.
#lenspiration #homeschoolphotography #homeschool #christianphotographer #photographyeducator #photoinspiration #photography #photoblogger
Light painting! At Miracle Mountain Ranch Photo Summit last weekend @miraclemountainranch @mmrschool
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Become a photographer: www.lenspiration.com
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#workshop #photographyworkshop #outdoors #photographyday #photographyskills #photographybusiness #homeschooled #homeschoolphotography #homeschool #homeeducators #homeeducate #homeschoolingteens #lifelearning #photographyeducator #christianphotographer #photography #photographer #wvphotographer #lenspiration #lightpainting #specialeffect #photoeffect #lightingeffect
Just now editing photos from the weekend! Miracle Mountain Ranch Photo Summit 2025 @miraclemountainranch @mmrschool
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Become a photographer: www.lenspiration.com
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#workshop #fieldtrip #photographyworkshop #outdoors #photographyday #photographyskills #photographybusiness #homeschooled #homeschoolphotography #homeschool #homeeducators #homeeducate #homeschoolingteens #lifelearning #homescool #photographyeducator #christianphotographer #photography #photographer #wvphotographer #lenspiration #cowboy #horse #horsebackriding #western
The Photo Summit at MMR over the weekend was amazing! Here we`re doing an equestrian shoot to put into practice what we had learned in the classroom earlier. Panning was one of the fun effects we learned too.
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Become a photographer: www.lenspiration.com
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#fieldday #photographyfieldday #workshop #photographyworkshop #outdoors #photographyday #photographyskills #photographybusiness #homeschooled #homeschoolphotography #homeschool #homeeducators #homeeducate #homeschoolingteens #lifelearning #homescool #photographyeducator #photoblogger #christianphotographer #photography #photographer #lenspiration #horse #cowboy #equestrian #equestrianphoto #horsephoto
Photo Summit is going well! #learnphotography #photographyeducator #photoclass #photo #photography
New blog post! As soon as I found out what this month`s Shoot to Serve photo assignment was going to be, I knew immediately where I would shoot it. In some respects, the location I had in mind wasn`t ideal, but there were some special, morning memories associated with the spot that I wanted to revisit. And as it turned out, the location happened to be better for the photo shoot than I had originally thought! Read more at link in bio.
#lenspiration #homeschoolphotography #homeschool #christianphotographer #photographyeducator #photoinspiration #photography #photoblogger
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