Lenspiration Blog
Welcome! Wherever you are on your photography journey, learn to take better photos through the photography tips and stories you'll find in the following free articles. By learning from the experience of others, you can also start taking pictures that you're excited to share with others!
An On-The-Fly Sunrise
When my brother Donald and I went to Arizona last month, we went to a lot of places and did a lot of things. And just like normal life always is, we didn’t have the photographers dream schedule of always being at the perfect place at the perfect time for perfect...
On Assignment: Training the Next Generation
If you have been doing any of the recent monthly photo assignments, this new one will be quite easy. It’s not too different than some of the recent assignments we’ve done, but with my schedule being packed with so many end-of-convention-season things, I found it...
No Later than 9:00am!
The Lamplighter Summer Guild had just ended! Despite going to bed around midnight, I was up early and heading to the airport. From Mt. Morris, New York, to the airport in Pittsburgh was about 4.5 hours. It was important that I get there no later than 2:00pm so I...
Backpacking: Full-Frame or Crop Sensor?
I had been planning a backpacking trip with my friend Tim and brother David for months! Now it was time to pack up my camera gear. What should I bring? Photography was not the main purpose of our trip into Dolly Sods. But I was not about to go on a two night...
On Assignment: Personal Quiet Time
Summertime is such a great time for taking pictures! The warm weather. The lush foliage (depending on where you live ). The abundance of backyard wildlife. The late sunsets. The family vacations. There are so many things to take pictures of! As we enjoy taking...
Experience the Reality of God!
Ever heard of Journey to the Heart? Well, if you want to get a clue on what the next photo assignment will be, go to their website (www.lifesrealjourney.com) and start guessing what kind of photos they might be asking for! I had the opportunity to go on several...
Only 30 Minutes to Spare
Scheduled excursion commencement: Tuesday, 4:00pm. Scheduled excursion conclusion: the following Sunday, 9:00pm. And something planned for every single hour in between! Drive to Winchester. Sleep. Drive to rendezvous location in Pennsylvania. Drive back to...
On Assignment: Sharing the Gospel
When I found out that this next assignment was about “Sharing the Gospel”, a lot of different ideas for what to shoot started coming to mind! A tract sitting with a tip on a table in a restaurant. A closeup of a Bible on the knee of someone in a living room with a...
How to Use Your Camera to Share the Gospel
With the current assignment wrapping up this weekend, it means a new assignment will be launching next week! Want to know what it is? Well, you’ll have to wait. But what I can tell you is that we’ll be shooting for Creation Today again! I appreciate the ministry of...
What Happened on August 19
Julianna and I have a date set for our wedding, now! It will be August 19, 2022. It will be an important date in our minds forever! But, has it always been? No. I’ve walked around on many an August 19 oblivious to the fact that it would ever be an important date to...
Looking for Portraiture Resources?
It’s been a long time in the making. Ever since Lenspiration started, you could say. An article here, a blog post there, forum discussions everywhere in between. Each article, blog post, and forum topic meet the need of the moment. But what about weeks, or...
On Assignment: The Intricacy of God’s Creation
There are several ways you can do macro photography on a budget, but for this assignment (see details here!) I explored one way I had never tried before! It’s true that flipping the lens isn’t the sharpest way to create macro photos. For starters, macro...
The Best Kind of Photography Job
It was very dark when I pulled into the driveway. But the headlights revealed quite a stately homestead. A gate led through an ivy-wrapped archway into a manicured back lawn where a shapely pool reflected the light reflecting off the clouds from downtown Dallas, 20...
6 Observations from A Very Special Event
A special event just happened last week that made me appreciate portrait photographers a whole lot more. Their experience. Their patience. Their expertise. You see, instead of being the portrait photographer, this event found myself on the other side of the lens. I...
Going Deeper Than First Impression
Looking forward to the first homeschool convention of year next week! Never been to a THSC Convention before. They say it’s the “biggest and best homeschool convention in Texas.” I guess we’ll find out soon what it’s like! Thinking about heading to Texas got me...
How Much More Can I Learn?
For last month’s photo assignment, 6 photographers submitted 44 photos. There were some fantastic photos among those 44, but there was one in particular that I really liked. This photo was submitted by Samuel West: When critiquing everyone’s photos on the Coaching...
On Assignment: Photos of American Patriotism!
I was so excited when Pennsylvania State Representative Andrew Lewis said we could do a photo assignment for him! This could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! And as such, not even a snowy day could keep me from shooting (or at least attempting to shoot!) some...
Revisiting a Photo Shoot From 2015
Any guesses as to which State this capitol building belongs to? I’ve only been to this State capitol building one time. Driven through the city many times, but only stopped in downtown once. And the reason I was there was to take some pictures for a client! He was...
An Example of a Published Photographer
Let me show you a photo that my Grandpa took back in, ...actually, wait a minute... can you guess what year it was taken? This was a question I asked on the last coaching webinar. And I said whoever guessed closest to correct would be the featured Lenspiration...
Can You Fake Golden Hour?
I was going through my archives today, looking for example photos for some new training material. And I came across this simple, well-composed shot taken in pretty much the middle of the day. It’s a grand-looking photo because, yeah, it’s literally the Grand...
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Follow along with Lenspiration travels…
It`s a choice to continue in sin. And it`s a choice to leave it. The way of escape is always open. "The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;" Isaiah 61:1
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Family-friendly photography training: www.lenspiration.com
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#verseoftheday #christianphotographer #faithandphotography #freedominchrist #exploretocreate
Which lane am I in? Headed toward the light, or fleeing from it? "For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God." John 3:20-21
I`ve driven through this pass scores of times, but I`ve only taken the time to photograph it once. I`m busy. I`ve got places to go. But because capturing beauty is important to me, I find ways to prioritize it. Same in my walk with the Lord. I am in such desperate need of God`s light in my life, I prioritize going to His word in the mornings.
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Wholesome photography training: www.lenspiration.com
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#walkinthelight #faithinfocus #christianphotography #sunsetlover #landscapephotography
🎉 Celebrate with us! 🎉
The new “Jesus, I Come” Lenspiration 2027 Calendar is here!
This year, I made some changes to the monthly design, giving it a fresh, clean look while retaining the aspects that everyone has come to know and love about the Lenspiration calendars—intricate cutouts, hymn lyrics, and Scriptures on each month.
Pre-orders start today, and calendars will begin shipping in October after they’ve been printed.
🎉 To celebrate the launch, we’re giving out a special gift for the next 10 days (until August 31). Anyone who pre-orders any quantity of Original or Personalized 2027 Calendars during this time will get 20% OFF the Lenspiration store* for the rest of 2026! 🎉
May the 2027 Calendar be a blessing to all who receive it, and a fresh reminder to come to Jesus each and every day throughout this coming year!
*20% discount cannot be combined with other discounts or offers, and does not apply to purchases of Original, Personalized or Artist’s Calendars, as well as Budget or Recommended Camera Kits.
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Family-friendly photography training
www.lenspiration.com
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#2027calendar #lenspiration #landscape_photography #JesusIcome #Scripturecalendar #Christiancalendar #inspirationalcalendar #christianphotographer #wvphotographer #uslandscapes
The following story is from a Lenspiration blog post which tells some of the behind-the-scenes stories from the photos I chose for the 2027 calendar (pre-orders for calendars begin on Friday, August 21!!).
But did any of the photos from that stop in western Virginia make it into the calendar?! Well. . .you’ll have to find out on Friday when the big reveal happens! 😉
"In May of 2025, we set out on a 4-day trek from Tennessee to Maine for the next event on our calendar, not knowing that the journey itself would offer some of the most memorable moments of the whole trip!
The first day’s drive was relatively short. On the way to spend the night with friends in Virginia, we savored the quiet drive surrounded by the beauty of the mountains. We indulged in a long lunch break at a picnic table tucked among trees with perfect temperatures and lighthearted birds flitting around us.
That evening, at our host’s lovely home in the Shenandoah Valley, we stepped out on the front porch to enjoy the spectacular view. There was no color in the sky, but that didn’t matter. Since photography is my work, I usually set it aside on Sundays to enjoy a day of rest.
However, as we sat and chatted in the peaceful beauty of the country surroundings, the sky started to get colorful and kept getting better and better. Finally, I looked at Julianna to see if this short interruption of our time together would be an acceptable exception, and her sweet smile was all the answer I needed! I jogged down to the van and snapped these photos before the perfect color faded away."
🎉SAVE THE DATE: Friday, August 21 - Calendar pre-orders open! 🎉
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Family-friendly photography training: www.lenspiration.com
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#lenspiration #lenspirationcalendar #2027calendar #fineartcalendar #landscapephotography #naturephotography #behindtheshot #behindthescene #wvphotographer
"Thus saith the LORD, keep ye judgment, and do justice: for my salvation is near to come, and my righteousness to be revealed." Isaiah 56:1
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Family-friendly photography training: www.lenspiration.com
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#californiawaterfalls #waterfallphotography #explorecalifornia #chasingwaterfalls #landscapephoto
Join me for some LIVE photo coaching on Tuesday, August 25! Register at link in bio.
At this very moment . . . the Lenspiration 2027 Calendar is being assembled. The theme has been chosen. The design has been tweaked. Each photo has been carefully edited, and hymns and Scripture verses selected.
On Friday, August 21, we`ll have a big reveal and pre-orders will begin!
So, mark your calendar and get ready for the all-new Lenspiration fine art 2027 Calendar!
#wvphotographer #landscapephotography #calendar #FineArt #landscapes #creationphotographer #savethedate #2027calendar #creation
2026 marks the beginning of my foray into art exhibiting! Started off with displaying some calendars at the annual @salemwvofficial Salem Community Arts Showcase on Saturday. Next will be the Salem Apple Butter Festival in October. Special thanks to the Cultural Foundation of Harrison County for making both events possible! My goal is to use the exhibits to create a wholesome, educational experience for art-lovers to expand their knowledge in photography, geography, and the ethics essential to success in any professional field.
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Family-friendly photography training: www.lenspiration.com
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#artexhibit #learnthroughart #salemwv #lenspiration #artwithpurpose
Super excited! Thank you FeedSpot for naming Lenspiration as #2 in the top 10 Best West Virginia Photography Blogs to Follow in 2026! Just after Wonderful West Virginia Magazine @wonderfulwestvirginia Read more at https://bloggers.feedspot.com/west_virginia_photography_bloggers Truly, there`s no other place I`d rather call home than wild, wonderful West Virginia
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#onlyinwestvirginia #photoblogger #wvblogger #top10
I learned what "flash flood" means, the other day. No problem driving into downtown Indianapolis when the rain started. But it rained so hard and so long, our efforts to leave were thwarted over and over again as we backed out of street after street trying to find a way back to the Interstate. Never seen so much water on the road before. Thankfully we were able to get to an entrance ramp that was on higher ground....and begin our long journey home through more storms, tornado warnings, and flooded construction sites. So grateful that God "rulest the raging sea: when the waves thereof arise, Thou stillest them"! (Psalm 89:9)
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Family-friendly photography training: www.lenspiration.com
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#flooding #travelphotography #travel #danger #flashflood
We almost left the overlook, when something happened.... We were on our way home from Connecticut, stopping in Virginia to meet up with @samuelchingphotography to photograph sunset at @greatfallsparkvanps. I chose the Maryland side of the river because the overlook faced west toward the sunset. However, we ran into two problems. First, the boardwalk offered no opportunity to descend down to the waters edge (offering instead severe penalties for leaving it). And second, it was not a pretty sunset. After spotting the landscape for a while, why stick around? Part of our group headed back to the car and I began packing up. And that`s when, out of nowhere, these long, pink, apparently altocumulus radiatus clouds appeared in the western sky in the perfect spot for landscape compositions! I can`t believe we almost missed it. I learned I need to be patient, even after the moment of sunset.
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Family-friendly photography training: www.lenspiration.com
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#greatfallspark #altocumulus #sunsetchasers #patiencepays #landscapephotography
For this month`s photo assignment, we`re doing something a little unusual: we`re learning how to take photos and add creative text overlay. With resources to help you through the process, this assignment takes your photography to the next level and helps you understand design concepts.
The goal is simple - to create "Verse Pics": taking any picture you’d like, with a verse relating to the scene designed on it.
Learn all about it at the link in bio!
On my way back from that morning hike at the top of South Mountain, the main thought in my head was to get back to the car so I could get home. Then I started thinking about why I wanted to get home. Well, one of the reasons was because I wanted to be back with Julianna and finally tell her good morning (because I had left so early that she was still asleep). That made me start thinking about how much she likes wildflowers and I thought "Hey, I should take some pictures of flowers to show her when I get back..." And that`s when I started noticing all the flowers by the side of the trail! --- Moral of the story: sometimes you don`t see things till you start looking for them. 😃 "Hear, ye deaf; and look, ye blind, that ye may see." Isaiah 42:18
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Family-friendly photography training: www.lenspiration.com
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#flowerphotography #phoneography #lookandsee #lovestory #scripture
I can`t believe I found a spot like this in Connecticut! I`ve know a great photo spot like this existed, but couldn`t figure out how to get there without a super long, exhausting hike. Finally figured it out thanks in part to @alltrails. I can DM hiking directions if interested. It`s still probably a 2mi hike.
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Family-friendly photography training: www.lenspiration.com
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#onlyinconnecticut #hikingadventures #bestphotospot #overlook #landscapephotography
Join me for some LIVE photo coaching on July 28 as we take a photographic tour across the world and explore "Picturesque Places"! Register at the link in bio.
I`ve had my eye on this location for years...and today I finally made the early morning hike out for golden hour. With the smoke coming down from Canada, would I get my chance for the photo I`ve been waiting for?!
A quick sunrise shoot with amazing potential. Right place at the right time. Would the sun show up and make it a perfect morning?!
Join me in the minutes before sunrise as I discover what the results of my early morning hike would be!
