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
Not a Novel Concept
The idea of maintaining purity in culture at large and in every area of society should not be a foreign concept to us.
The American Founding Fathers understood this concept well and it is our responsibility to carry on what they knew to be self-evident to each ensuing generation.
Let the following quote by John Witherspoon, apparently the only minister to sign the Declaration of Indpendence, inspire you to carry the torch of liberty in every aspect of your photography.
"It is absolutely certain that overall wickedness and corruption of manners make a nation ripe for destruction. A good form of government may hold the rotten materials together for a while, but, beyond a certain point, even the best constitution will be ineffective, and slavery will follow. On the other hand, when the manners of a nation are pure, when true religion and internal principles flourish, even the most powerful enemies' attempts to oppress them are usually disappointed . . . What can we conclude from this? That he is the best friend of American liberty who is most sincere and active in promoting true and undefiled religion. He is the best friend of American liberty who sets himself with the greatest firmness to suppress profanity and immorality of every kind."
Every photograph we choose to share is an invitation for our audience to meditate on something. Therefore, we as photographers, with our cameras, have a part in the rise or fall of this great country. Let us choose to be creators and distributors of that which is "family friendly": consistant with the principles of Scripture, worthy of all acceptance before God, excellent by His definition, and an accurate depiction of what God likes and what He Himself is like.
Therefore, it is my goal and the purpose of Lenspiration to inspire all photographers to own for themselves a Biblical worldview and definition of purity and beauty.
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 the Fall of Humankind: We believe that the Genesis account of creation is neither allegory nor myth, but a literal, historical account of God's creation of the universe. 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 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 not by working for it, or by being good by man's standards, but 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 (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 (Ephesians 1:22-23, 2:11-22, 4:1-16; Colossians 1:18), and 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 Family: We believe the Bible sets forth principles for Godly living that, when followed, honor the Lord and help believers to live life as God designed (II Timothy 3:16). We believe that all authority begins with God and that He has ordained and created authority structures to exercise delegated authority within the jurisdictional limits of the family, church, civil government, and voluntary associations (I Corinthians 11:3, Ephesians 5:23). We believe that God created people as either male or female and that no intimate sexual activity should be engaged in outside of a marriage between one born a male and one born a female (Genesis 1:27, Matthew 19:4). We believe that any form of homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality, bestiality, incest, fornication, adultery, and pornography are sinful perversions of God's gift of sexuality. We believe that God disapproves of and forbids any attempt to alter one's gender by surgery or appearance (I Corinthians 6:9-11, I Timothy 1:8-11, Romans 1:26-32). We believe that the only Scriptural marriage is the joining of one man and one woman, for life (Genesis 2:20-25, Matthew 19:8). We believe that God has ordained the family as the foundational institution of human society. Husbands and wives are to love, care for, and submit to one another (Genesis 2:24, Deuteronomy 6:6, Joshua 24:15, Ephesians 5:25, Colossians 3:19, I Peter 3:7, I Corinthians 13:4). Children are a heritage from the Lord (Psalm 127:3, Proverbs 17:6). Parents are responsible for teaching their children spiritual and moral values through loving instruction, consistent lifestyle example and appropriate discipline (Ephesians 6:4). We believe that human life is sacred from conception to its natural end and any willful and deliberate early termination of life is contary to the will of God (Psalm 139:13-15, Jeremiah 1:5, Luke 1:41, Exodus 20:13, Hebrews 9:27, Job 14:5).
- 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 with Him in the world to come (Isaiah 65:17-25, Ezekial 47:12, Daniel 7:13-14, Revelation 21:1-22:6).
Based upon this Statement of Faith, Lenspiration, in its sole discretion, has the right to deny anyone acess to Lenspiration interactive activities, such as the forums, assignments, or webinars.
Thank you for your interest in
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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!
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What are we up to?
Follow along with Lenspiration travels…
First dirt bike adventure! Ended at an old fire tower. Great fall colors for photos! Only flew off the dirt bike once. 😂 Injuries healing up nicely. 😊
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Family-friendly photography training: www.lenspiration.com
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#photographywithfriends #dirtbikes #onlyinwv #wildwonderfulwv #lenspiration
It`s not every day you get an inside tour of a high-tech observatory custom made by a creationist passionate about astronomy! #astrophotographer #creationproclaims #telescope #familytravel #creationphotography
Join me for some LIVE photo coaching next Tuesday as we recap the "Creative Posing" assignment! Register at link in bio.
Tell me. . .flipping through the Lenspiration 2027 calendar, which month is your favorite?!
Want to display this on your wall? 2027 Calendars available for purchase at link in bio.
#lenspiration #2027calendar #wallcalendar #favoritemonth #landscapephotography #landscape_photography #fineartphotography #Scripturecalendar
Thank to @jonathan_vizaframephotography here is a sneak peek of the Art Show last week! More pics coming soon!
The activity folks are doing in these pictures is filling out a sheet of paper with their guesses as to which photos were taken in which states. 40 pictures taken from 40 different states were showcased and numbered in the gallery. The one who guessed the most correctly won a free pint of apple butter and a gift card to a local thrift shop! There was a lot of participation and it turned out to be one of the most interactive elements of the entire Apple Butter Festival!
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Family-friendly photography training: www.lenspiration.com
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#westvirginia #festival #applebutterfestival2026 #wvartist #wvphotographer
Calendar season is in full swing!
Original calendars are shipping, I`m working on Personalized orders almost every day, and I`ve been enjoying helping other photographers get their photos ready for their Artist calendars!
To keep the momentum going, I decided to offer a mid-season sale . . .
🎉 This weekend only, get free shipping on orders of 25+ Original or Personalized calendars, until Monday, Oct. 19, using the coupon code 2027SHIPFREE. It`s the only bulk-order sale I plan to offer this year, so don`t miss it! 🎉
Order calendars at lenspiration.com/original
I had heard enough about Nubble Light to get up at 3am to drive a few hours from where I was staying in New Hampshire to the Maine coast to photograph it at sunrise! That was back in 2015, and was my first time to Maine. A few minutes after this photo was taken, the sky erupted in vivid pink, but I still come back to this photo as my favorite for it`s quite drama and illusion of movement in the blurred waves.
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Family-friendly photography training: www.lenspiration.com
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#mainecoast #nubblelight #landscapephotography #shutterspeed #lighthouse
Time to get back to posting pretty pictures! The Art Show, Lenspiration stuff, and the 2027 Calendars are funny to post about, but hearing about those things is probably not the reason you`re following this account. 😊 So, let`s head out to Minnesota on a frigid, February morning! I had flown into Minneapolis the night before, picked up a rental car, and started driving north in preparation for shooting a wedding in Fargo. I car camped in a Walmart parking lot half way, and got up before dawn to drive the rest of the way. As the sky started to get light, I began looking for an exist that might offer something interesting to photograph. Nothing presented itself on that flat, endless prairie of western Minnesota. I took a random exit, knowing I had no more time left before the sun would came up. Then, out of nowhere, this fantastic old schoolhouse appeared next to the road not a minute`s drive from the Interstate! Needless to say, I rushed to find a pleasing composition before waiting only a few minutes to snap this shot of the sun peeping up over the horizon in just the perfect spot.
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Family-friendly photography training: www.lenspiration.com
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#landscapephoto #behindtheshot #storytime #sunrisephotography #minnesota
Wrapped up the festival with 1st place in our division in the parade, thanks to my brothers help decorating our family fan. 🤗 First time ever for Lenspiration to be in a parade!
The Lenspiration 2027 calendars have arrived!! I`m starting to put them in the mail beginning TODAY! So excited to get them into your hands. 🎉
Haven`t ordered yours yet?! Place your order at link in bio.
New blog post! The Apple Butter Festival Art Show is around the corner, and I intentionally curated the gallery to showcase 40 photos from 40 different states. Here are some clues on guessing the states! Read more at link in bio.
#lenspiration #homeschoolphotography #homeschool #christianphotographer #photographyeducator #photoinspiration #photography #photoblogger
We just launched October`s photo assignment, and our goal this month is simply to work with a family you know to take their family photos.
Whether you have done a family photo shoot or not, don`t worry! We will guide you through the assignment with ease. When you’re finished, you’ll be genuinely glad you took the time to complete it.
View details at link in bio.
All frames and prints have arrived! Now to assemble all 30bof them . . . before the @salemwvofficial Apple Butter Festival art show begins next Thursday!
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#westvirginia, #festival, #applebutter #salemwv #diyart
New blog post! Discover simple, practical snack ideas that make travel days smoother and healthier. These easy, packable options keep you energized whether you’re commuting, road‑tripping, or heading out for a full day of photography. Read more at link in bio.
#lenspiration #homeschoolphotography #homeschool #christianphotographer #photographyeducator #photoinspiration #photography #photoblogger
Take a close-up look at the Lenspiration 2027 Calendar physical proof with me! 🎉Pre-order your calendars NOW to be included in the first batch of shipping!
✅ View pre-order link in bio.
Why visit a landscape photography art gallery? Here are at least 8 ideas....
1. An invitation to slow down
2. You experience similar feelings to being at iconic places... without the travel
3. A mini vacation without leaving town
4. Expands knowledge of places you didn`t know existed
5. A worshipful mood for magnifying the Creator, Jesus Christ!
6. Generates conversation about far off places and interesting subjects
7. Broadens appreciation for detail, color combinations, and photographic composition
8. Helps discover or refine your own tastes
Why would you visit an art show? Let me know in the comments!
Family-friendly photography training: www.lenspiration.com
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#artshow #fineartgallery #landscapephotography #creationproclaims #seetheworld
I`ve been preparing for the Apple Butter Festival Art Show in October and needed a shot that said "Wisconsin". I had some generic scenic photos from across the state, and no photos of cheese. But when I started playing around with this round barn image that I originally intended to be documentary, it really started to grow on me. I took it in the middle of the day, on the way home from attending church, almost as an after thought. It was even in late October, after the leaves had fallen, a bad time of year for color. But the light, composition, and dramatic clouds all worked together to pull it out of the forgotten archives and into my gallery portfolio! And if you didn`t already know, Wisconsin has the most round barns of any state in the US, and speaks heavily of the rich dairy heritage of the area.
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Family-friendly photography training: www.lenspiration.com
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#onlyinwisconsin #roundbarn #fineartgallery #storybehindthephoto #behindtheshot
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