James Staddon, Author at Lenspiration

7 Fundamental Tips for Beginning Wedding Photographers

Looking at getting into wedding photography? For starters, here are some of the basic things that are good to know before shooting your first wedding.

The Power of Brushing

Recently, a photographer friend of mine encouraged me to consider spending a little more time doing “local brushing” on my photos to help accent highlights, deepen shadows and increase overall visual appeal. I’m still learning how to do it (often I don’t really know where to start….what should I highlight? what... Read More »

This is THE Place for Photographers!

Having never been to one before, I wasn’t sure what to expect at the Photography and Media Summit hosted by Miracle Mountain Ranch last weekend…. Well, here’s what happened and my opinion on it: Behind the Scenes Insights My first connection with Miracle Mountain Ranch was two years ago at a HEAV Convention. I... Read More »

What Happened at Kent Falls….

My Saturday’s are not usually as exciting as was this past Saturday, at least, in the respect to planned excitement. It was the first Saturday of it’s kind this year, and Lord willing, not the last…. Behind the Scenes Insights I discovered Kent Falls back in the autumn of 2011, the first time I ever... Read More »

One Photography Principle You Don’t Want to Break!

I’m sure you’re familiar with various composition “rules” in photography, like the “rule of thirds” or “keep the horizon level”. And knowing and applying simple rules like these will certainly set your pictures apart from the average snapshots! But it’s important to keep in mind that they act more like “tools”.... Read More »

Quick Edit: Spring Dogwood

I don’t know if you remember, but this month’s free desktop background wallpaper was a pretty branch of dogwood flowers taken during a stroll through the park surrounding the St. Louis Arch. Well, here’s a little video of how I edited it. In real time, using Lightroom and a little Photoshop, it took me about 30... Read More »

The Price of Adventure

Enjoy adventure?! Be sure to count the cost, because you never know when everything might just go dead wrong…. Behind the Scenes Insights I was well aware of the danger of a wet snowfall….if it was a snowfall in late autumn when there were still leaves on the trees. But in February? It never crossed my mind... Read More »

Exploring West Virginia: What NOT to Do!

Do you relish stress? Or would you prefer to steer clear of unnecessary problems? Learn from my mistake…never cross a point of no return if you don’t know what’s beyond it! Here’s a story of what happened when I did, and the lessons I learned from it… Behind the Scenes Insights I’d say the idea of following Google... Read More »

Strolling Through Downtown? Make the Most of it!

Going shopping? Finding a place to eat? Visiting a museum? Whether you’re by yourself, vacationing with family or spending time with friends, I’m sure it’s fairly often you find yourself strolling through the busy streets of downtown! If it suits the situation, why not make the most of it? While shooting an... Read More »

My 4-Step Process For Scouting Photography Locations Online

You don’t have to be a full-time photographer to find great places to take great pictures! But it does help to follow a process. So, here’s my process. In this particular video—scouting around for schoolhouses while visiting a friend in Connecticut—I happened to be able to do all 4 steps in one morning (with the... Read More »

Crazy Photo Excursion to Snowy Connecticut!

I don’t normally drive over 600 miles for a photo shoot…especially when it means driving straight into a major snowstorm! But this time, maybe I was going crazy. Here’s the story behind the assignment and just exactly what happened on this adventurous excursion to snowy Connecticut! Behind the Scenes... Read More »

How I Use a Wal-Mart Tripod!

Not all tripods are created equal. So what can you expect in a tripod if you can’t afford a durable, name-brand one? After accidentally leaving my quality, Manfrotto carbon fiber tripod at home on a recent, multi-day photo excursion last week, I started learning what it was like to use a less-than-perfect tripod!... Read More »

I Couldn’t Find a Good Overlook….

….so here’s what I decided to do! Behind the Scenes Insights A fellow from church first told me about 5 Points. He knew I liked photography so when I asked if he could recommend of any nice places around to take pictures, he said I might like this spot. A few days later, in a conversation completely unrelated... Read More »

A Practical Use for “Split Toning” in Lightroom

I haven’t found many practical uses for the Split Toning panel in Lightroom. I probably hadn’t opened it for months! It’s one of those panels that seems to provide more of an artistic spin on editing photos versus the natural feeling that I’m usually trying to go for. However, while processing some pictures... Read More »

Directing the Eye Using Overexposure

Here’s some real-world composition for ya! I wasn’t planning on creating this video, but because finding, composing and tweaking this shot turned out to be so “textbook perfect”, I couldn’t help but step back and quickly explain how it came together. Behind the Scenes Insights • I didn’t go out that... Read More »

“How You Can Take Amazing Photos in 4 Simple Steps”

Ultimate Bundles is offering a free Video Series on basic photography called “How You Can Take Amazing Photos in 4 Simple Steps”. As far as I know, it’ll only be available until February 25! I just finished reviewing it and am happy to say that, based on Lenspiration’s wholesomeness policy, it is... Read More »

Learning How to Intelligently Predict Beautiful Times to Take Pictures in the Outdoors!

What if you could predict beforehand if it was going to be a beautiful sunrise tomorrow morning? Or a beautiful sunset tonight? Or the next night? What if you could intelligently calculate ahead of time if a particular snowfall was going to be particularly picturesque? Or not picturesque at all? Would not this... Read More »

Embrace the Unexpected!

In the photographer’s pursuit of beauty, he relies on many factors that are outside of his control. Of course, he hopes and plans for conditions favorable to fulfilling his goals But sometimes the conditions are less favorable than expected. Sometimes more favorable. This is what I love about photography, landscape... Read More »

On Assignment: Shooting for the Cover of a Magazine!

Ever wondered what it was like to shoot a photo that was featured on the front cover of a magazine?! Well, it is a nice idea, but I actually don’t know what it’s like yet….none of the photos I’ve ever taken have been featured on the front cover of a magazine. But! It just so happens that if any of the pictures I take... Read More »

This Morning’s Incredible Super Blue Blood Moon!

Did you hear about the incredible natural phenomenon that happened this morning? I’ll let NASA explain all the juicy details about it…..what I was interested in was taking pictures of it! Here’s what excited me about it: Though where I live it was not going to be a total lunar eclipse, I figured even a partial... Read More »