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!
The Best Way to Bore A Photographer
I assume you like to look at beautiful pictures? Maybe that's one reason you follow photography blogs. Well, what if I were to talk about a beautiful photo this time instead of showing it to you?! Oh, let me tell you! It is amazing. The foliage is so lush, the...
On Assignment: Waiting for a Breakthrough!
Ready to shoot the next real-life photo assignment? Well, here it is!My first shot over by the fence didn’t work too well, simply because the sun didn’t come out strongly enough. Looking at it later on the computer here, I decided I did like the composition though....
A Behind-the-Scenes Look at the 2019 Photography Team Group Photos!
If you think learning photography is not easy, try learning portrait photography, were you have half the amount of time (or is it a quarter the amount of time?) to spend thinking about what settings you're going to use on your camera while the rest of the time you...
Behind the Shot: Drifting Downstream
I usually gravitate toward “epic moment” shots when choosing a photo for a desktop background each month. You know, I’m going to be looking at it every day for a while, it might as well be worth looking at. But this time, I couldn’t help but choose a photo that I...
The Unexpected Challenge of Photographing Comparisons
Looking for a unique challenge? Biblical Character Illustrated Curriculum has handed one over to us! They’re looking for a comparison. Two photos, from the same perspective, that illustrate “organized” and “disorganized”. And so thus we have this month’s real-life...
The Most Important Factor In a Wow Photo
Are you pleased with your outdoor photos? Are they looking like the “wow shots” you see hanging in corporate workplaces or in promotional calendars? Part of it has to do with location, of course. But location is only 1 of 3 main factors that make an awesome photo....
Behind the Shot: Middle of Nowhere
I’m amazed at how little time I’ve had to edit my photos and write about my travels this spring! It’s been all I can do to keep up with emails, the Shoot to Serve assignments, the Convention Photography Teams and booths, and figure out where to sleep and what to...
Shooting for Excellence!
So, how does the next photo assignment have to do with “shooting for excellence”? Watch the assignment reveal video below to find out!Raising the bar is kind of a difficult idea to shoot for, so thankfully Kirk, the one requesting the photo, has given us several...
Ever Tried Photographing Photographers?
It’s time to update the header image on the Lenspiration homepage! And I’d love to update it with one of your photos! So hence, the next Shoot to Serve photo assignment! Photographer. Do you think you can take a really great picture of a photographer? Of course, it...
The Lenspiration-Recommended Browser
I’ve used Google Chrome for a long time. I thought it was the fastest browser out there. Then I learned about Brave. Maybe speed-wise they’re exactly the same, but the added benefit of having ad-blocking built-in (along with other random perks) made the decision to...
Reviving Photos from the Far Distant Past
Ever since the Journey to the Heart Challenge back in January, I’ve been camping out in Isaiah 55 during my memorization time at night. And then a couple weeks ago this photo request comes in… Cherith Studio’s said, “I'm looking for a photo to illustrate Isaiah...
The Meeting that Shaped the Direction of Lenspiration in 2019
Perhaps you were wondering why in my last post I was going to be trekking all over the country…it’s not like I just drive around randomly for fun. Well, back in April 2018, Miracle Mountain Ranch invited me to talk about photography at their 2018 Media Summit....
Announcement: 2019 Photography Field Day Schedule!
As I finish putting together my 2019 travel schedule, I’m excited to announce the locations and dates I’ll be available to hold Photography Field Days this year! Here’s an interactive map that shows where I’ll be and when I’ll be there. Click on the orange pins or...
Behind the Shot: Mt. Olive
I’ve been living just a couple miles away from Mt. Olive Baptist Church for over 15 years now. It’s a pretty little church--nothing epic--perched up on the top of a little, partially-cleared hill. It’s a nice spot to go to pray or have devotions or take pictures on...
On Assignment: Praying Hands
Know the hymn, "Now Thank We All Our God"? To you, what does it look like? When I found out that this was the next hymn that Family Conferences wanted us to photograph a background image for, I wasn't initially excited. It's February. We've long put all the...
What Is This? Not Even I Could Guess What It Was!
I thought a recent Q&A Forum topic was pretty interesting…. @bennett-family asked, “I was cleaning out my camera bag the other day and came across this little thing in a small plastic bag, and I have no clue what it is! Can anyone identify it?” I observed that...
How I Edited This Photo
After writing this post about how I went about shooting the Cathedrals of the Imagination assignment, a Lenspiration Member asked if I could show her how I went about editing it. Showing how I edit a photo after I have edited it is not usually possible. Like, I...
Looking to Upgrade? 7 Pre-Owned Items That May Be In Your Budget
I have 7 pieces of high-end, pre-owned photography equipment that I’d like to sell. I bought it as bundle from a friend of mine, Ryan, who was moving on to "phone photography" and now I'm selling off each piece individually. Before listing them on Ebay or making...
On Assignment: Cathedrals of the Imagination!
Over New Year's, we went and visited friends up in New England. It was great fun! And it was the perfect opportunity to shoot the latest Shoot to Serve photo assignment, Cathedrals of the Imagination! https://youtu.be/wNxaKbD_i4A It turns out that editing...
A Pipe Organ in Vermont….and Random Thoughts on Property Releases
With the soon-ending Pipe Organ assignment on my mind recently, I couldn’t help but ask my friends if they knew of any nearby….. We were visiting the Moore family over the New Year’s holiday up in Vermont. New England sure seemed like a great place to find pipe...
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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
