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!
When What You’re Looking for Doesn’t Exist
This new assignment turned out much better than I expected! Isn’t it great that ideas from sources outside of yourself are often what help you find exactly what you could not find by yourself? https://youtu.be/Agj85RYA82E I think it’s interesting how, without my...
Behind the Scenes of a DIY Family Photo Shoot
How this low-budget lighting set up worked well for an indoor Christmas family photo shoot.
For Those of Us Who Prefer to Learn Hands-On
Most photographers I meet are the hands-on type. I remember last year at the MMR Media Summit, we talked for over an hour in the classroom about how to shoot in manual. And this was important. But it wasn’t until after we got outside for the hands-on stuff that it...
What To Do When “Wow” Subjects Don’t Look “Wow” In Your Photos
One catches a first glimpse of their destination. They scramble forward to get the best view, pull out the camera and take their prizewinning shot. But is it really prizewinning? Was it the subject that made the photo great? If so, the viewer will probably be...
On Assignment: Chasing the Light
Know the common thread between the four hymns Let Him Have His Way With Thee, O For A Closer Walk!, Precious Name, and Teach Me Thy Way, O Lord? Here’s the answer, and how I went about trying to capture it!It sorta felt like I failed miserably in my pursuit of a...
The Story Behind the Pro Posing Database
Learn the history and vision behind Lenspiration's Pro Posing Database.
“One Picture Only!”
It's pretty funny what happened on a recent photo excursion I went on with a friend. 🙂 I'll let John tell it to you in his own words . . . When was the last time you went to photograph an epic location and only took ONE photo? Recently I had a friend in town (i.e....
On Assignment: Spending an Evening with Grandpa
It's Christmastime! I figured most of us would be spending time with friends and family over the next couple of weeks, so that's why I decided to do this for this month's assignment . . .This month's assignment is "The Elderly". When I asked the Christian stock...
Random Comments from a Simple Sunrise Shoot
There aren't any beaches in West Virginia, so while traveling around in Virginia earlier this month, I did what I could to make the coast my destination a time or two. I didn't have a particularly enormous amount of time to spend just taking pictures, seeing I was...
How I Landed At This Incredible Place
Traveling for photography gets pretty fun when multiple events line up back to back. I'll pack up hiking clothes and rain gear for an outdoor workshop. Then I'll pack up a suit and tie for a wedding. Then I'll pack up all my lights and a backdrop for a professional...
On Assignment: In Search of a Grand Piano
When it came time to make a video for this current photo assignment, I found myself visiting friends in Virginia without a clue where I was going to find a grand piano! Thankfully they all loved photography too, so we got together to figure out where to find a...
Autumn in Connecticut
The Autumn in Connecticut photography workshop was so much fun! Thank you Richard Spearin and Lydia Bennett for teaming up to bring together your photography friends to make the Photography Field Day a success! I'm so grateful we found Castle Craig as a place to go...
What Is A Significant Photo?
Ansel Adams is said to have stated, "Twelve significant photos in any one year is a good crop." Great advice. Especially for us in this digital age! But, what exactly is a significant photo? I had my own ideas, but I thought it would be fun to find out from other...
How to Not Lose Your Photoshop Actions
The time had come. Two weeks shy of four years of steady operation, my computer hard drive decided it was time to die. Thankfully, most of my stuff was backed up. But it turns out that there was something I thought was backed up, but actually wasn't. My Photoshop...
Dealing With Low Light Situations
Answering the question, "What steps do you typically take to address a low-light situation? Do you start by lowering shutter speed? Then f-stop? Then ISO? Anything else? In what order? Or what combination? And what amount of adjustment do you start with in each instance?"
The Toughest Photo Assignment Yet!
Heritage Defense, a Texas-based organization dedicated to protecting the biblical family through legal assistance and public policy initiatives, is creating two life-sized posters to be used as part of their trade show booth backdrop display . . . and they have...
A $745 Mistake
Learn from the time when familiarity and haste while shooting a wedding cost $745.
Why I’m Headed to Georgia
Most of my summer travels had been planned out before March. A Photography Team in Texas in July. Another one in Michigan in late August. A wedding shoot soon after, but maybe some Photography Field Days in between in random places throughout the Midwest?...
On Assignment: Going Telephoto in the Back Yard!
I've done a lot of outdoor photography, but I've done very little with telephoto lenses! Why? Because the longest lens I've ever had in the longest time was a 70-200mm. And on a full frame, that just doesn't reach very far. When I was first getting started in...
5 Quick Tips for Getting Real Smiles
In this guest blog post, professional portrait photographer Mary Neiman shares tips on getting genuine expressions on your clients' faces.
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What are we up to?
Follow along with Lenspiration travels…
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
I`ve been printing calendars since 2009, and there`s something very interesting that I`ve discovered.
I always included a verse of Scripture and the lyrics of a nice hymn on each month. “What a great way to share God’s Word and connect with my neighbors in a meaningful way!” I thought.
Some neighbors took them courteously with a smile. Some neighbors opened right up and we would talk for half an hour or more! “You mean, you took these photos?” they would ask in surprise.
The reason friends and neighbors connect so well is because it’s not just a regular calendar. It’s an “I-know-the-photographer” calendar. It gives neighbors a glimpse of who I am, what I do, and what I’m like.
📷 And you can do the same, with your friends and family, or in your community, with Artist’s Calendars! 📷 View details at link in bio!
As photographers and artists who are Christians, every time we share our work, we offer a small, concentrated glimpse of God’s glory as it has been revealed to us. And in sharing it, we invite others to pause, to wonder, and to recognize the fingerprints of the Creator woven into the ordinary and the extraordinary alike.
Wow. What an opportunity for us photographers to use our skill, our talents, our art—for the glory of God!
Whether it’s through a calendar, or if you share your photos in another way, be encouraged to let your photography act as an avenue of God’s beauty and the reality of Christ in you to the world around you.
Interested in printing your photos in a calendar? Learn more at link in bio.
#artistscalendar #printyourphotos #fineartphotographer #calendarforartists #christianphotographer #christianartist #customcalendar
Join me for some LIVE photo coaching next Tuesday! Register at link in bio.
Uncle David came over to help Mordecai and I put together a sign for the Apple Butter Festival Art Show! #applebutterfestival2026 #applebutterfestival #artistatwork #workingwithkids #onlyinwv
New blog post! The journey to my first ever fine-art exhibit has been pretty crazy. But the purpose behind it is so fulfilling. Read more at link in bio!
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Become a photographer: www.lenspiration.com
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#artexhibit
#fineartphotography
#salemwv
#landscapephotographer
#wvphotographer
@salemwvofficial
A snapshot that encapsulates the fun Mordecai had on a farm with friends the other weekend. 🤗 #farmlife #familyfun #funonthefarm #fruitoflabor #akidslife
