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!
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...
How To Not Let Photography Stress You Out
The other day I was on vacation driving down the road with my family. And it was beautiful! The afternoon sunlight was shining brightly for the first time that day. The sun was right on the horizon, right at golden hour. There were dark clouds in the east, and the...
Am I Willing To Wait For It?
My brother David plucks an ear of corn from the plethora of stocks that tower above him in the family garden under the warm, late-afternoon sunlight. He pulls away the husks to reveal for the first time the luscious fruit of his labors. But let me ask. Was it only...
The Search For A Pipe Organ
With Christmas just around the corner, I thought it was unique that the need for a picture of a pipe organ just happened to come up (see the latest Shoot to Serve assignment, Pipe Organ). Now, I have to admit, even I sorta thought this to be a daunting assignment....
Do Cameras Take Pictures?
When you see a beautiful picture, was it the camera or the photographer that took it? I’d say the answer is, both. Of course it was the photographer that initiated it. It was the photographer that envisioned the pretty picture, brought the camera to the right spot,...
The Confessions of a Landscape Photographer
Oh the allure of landscape photography…. To travel to the most beautiful places on earth! To get lost in the wonder and awesomeness of God’s creation! To experience the adventure of the unknown and encounter the realities of the wilderness! I’ve longed for it. I’ll...
Is It A Lens, Or Does It Just Look Like One?
I shifted my position on the pew once again. Am I the only one who fights the battle to banish drowsiness on Sunday mornings? It’s not that the Sunday School lesson wasn’t interesting….we were engaged in an intriguing study of human nature as characterized in the...
Playing With A New Perspective
The kind of mood you want viewers to feel when they look at your photo begins with how you decide to frame up your shot. There's a lot of power behind the perspective you decide to shoot from! As I was thinking about how to best shoot this month's Shoot to Serve...
Am I Getting Consistent Results?
I am by no means an HDR expert, but as far as I know, there are two main ways to go about processing photos in a way that showcases a high dynamic range: Tone Mapping and Exposure Blending. I’ve have had fun playing with Tone Mapping in programs like Photomatix and...
The Ultimate Purpose of Any Photograph
Not too long ago, I saw a picture that irked me. It’s not that it was “evil”. It was just that it contained stuff that didn’t impress me as being “good”—morally upright, exuding the qualities of unquestionable integrity. Stuff like this doesn’t always bother me....
Looking for Waterfalls!
“Summer in West Virginia was very wet this year. Autumn has been no different. Why not take advantage of it and go take some pictures of waterfalls?!” This is what went through my head when the current Shoot to Serve photo assignment, Beautiful Waterfalls, came...
Oh, Those Miserable Dust Bunnies!
We all know what dust bunnies are, right? They’re those little balls of dust that gather on the floor after having not swept or dusted for a long time. But do you know dust bunnies are in photography? You have most likely seen them in your pictures before. They are...
A Photographer’s Perspective on the Kavanaugh Proceedings
Been following politics recently? I don’t very closely, but it has been interesting to observe from afar the events surrounding the appointment of Brett Kavanaugh to the US Supreme Court….from the perspective of a photographer. Here are 3 things that I’ve been...
Hyperfocal Distance, Explained!
Ever wondered how pro landscape photographers get an entire image to be in tack-sharp focus, from the detailed foreground subject all the way to the distant, background elements? It’s because they understand an intriguing concept called “Hyperfocal Distance”. And...
The Day I Lost My $600 Phone in Tijuana, Mexico
I use the camera on my phone a lot, especially on mission trips. It’s handy for getting selfies, taking videos, and capturing memories where a DSLR is not practical or safe. However, the fact that they are so handy also makes them easier to lose. This selfie was...
The Truth Will Set You Free….Even In Critique!
We go through such great pains to get an amazing picture. Like, a super amazing picture! And then someone critiques it. “You should have done this. And this. And oh, this too. And this, of course.” We respectfully nod our heads. But inside, the storm rages! “You...
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New month - new photo assignment! And this one is pretty sweet. 🙂 Our goal is to take beautiful photos that reflect the truths of Psalm 119:103, “How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!”
Get all the details at the link in bio!
Another behind the scenes shot....thanks to @real_lukas_n Though I usually use a tripod for landscape photography, there was no time in this situation where it was literally raining. When I saw the distant mountains after pulling in for only a short time at this open-to-the-public farm, I knew there was a shot somewhere. This vast field of flooded strawberry plants was the foreground I was looking for, offering perfect leading lines to the triangular peak framed by the sweeping mist.
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Family-friendly photography training: www.lenspiration.com
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#farm #landscapephotographer #shootingintherain #rainyday #behindtheshot
New blog post! The last bit of light after sunset doesn`t take long to disappear. Sparkling stars were peering through the pinyon pine boughs above us. We were in the deep shadows of dusk as we picked our way down the rock strewn trail back to the parking lot. Read more at link in bio.
#lenspiration #homeschoolphotography #homeschool #christianphotographer #photographyeducator #photoinspiration #photography #photoblogger
Behind the shot photo.... When it`s rainy, and you`re not on lights`s time table, there`s time to chat with friends while you`re out in the field! 🤩 Thanks @real_lukas_n for the second photo! --
Family-friendly photography training: www.lenspiration.com
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#outdoorphoto #lowkey #mystery #photographyfriends #explorenc
Happy Memorial Day! Let us honor their sacrifice by using our freedoms not to do as we please, but to live as we ought. #freedom #integrity #selfcontrol #memorialday #Godblessamerica
New blog post! Rain poured down in torrential waves as we made our way through the Smoky Mountains. We had gotten up insanely early—long before dawn—to make the most of our time photographing at the high-elevation overlooks before the storm. But now the rain was coming down so hard that even the most dedicated among us didn’t feel like stepping out of the car for a photo. Until we rounded a bend and saw... Read more at link in bio.
#lenspiration #homeschoolphotography #homeschool #christianphotographer #photographyeducator #photoinspiration #photography #photoblogger
Join me for some LIVE photo coaching on Tuesday, May 26 as we look at "Glowing Scenery" photos. . . Register at link in bio!
Foreground element, framing, leading lines, human element, vibrant color.... Definitely one of my favorite shots from EXPLORE Springtime in the Smokies.
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Family-friendly photography training: www.lenspiration.com
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#photographycomposition #photoworkshop #composition #landscapephotography #springtime @greatsmokynps @blueridgenps
Before/after....look at the difference! A little editing is just what it needed to make it pop (IMO). What do you think?
"For the Lord thy God bringeth thee into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and depths that spring out of valleys and hills." Deuteronomy 8:7-9 Every time I photograph a waterfall I should thank the Lord for letting me live in such a blessed land.
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Family-friendly photography training: www.lenspiration.com
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#waterfall #verseoftheday #landscapephoto #thankful #godsblessing
New blog post! The photographer who makes decisions based on comfort won’t get out in the field, even in a place like the Smokies—and therefore won’t come home with any photos. Read more at link in bio.
#lenspiration #homeschoolphotography #homeschool #christianphotographer #photographyeducator #photoinspiration #photography #photoblogger
The photo assignment for May is live! Take beautiful, landscape photos that have a warm, glowing sense to them. Photos could include warm sunlight glowing at the end of a path, over water, over a stream, in a field, or over a mountain. Details at link in bio.
New blog post! Read more at link in bio.
#lenspiration #homeschoolphotography #homeschool #christianphotographer #photographyeducator #photoinspiration #photography #photoblogger
Someone got a photo of me taking the group photo at Family Conference last week! @familyconfs @alertacademy #familyconference #eventphotography #groupphoto #eventphotographer #adventurous
A quick stop in Paris for a selfie! 😄 #paristexas #travel #selfietime #texas
So much fun to photograph a family conference as an actual family! (Thank you Rebekah for the photo!)
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Family-friendly photography training: www.lenspiration.com
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#family #behindthescenes #together #teamwork #wvphotographer
On the lookout for puddles on a rainy first day of Conference!
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Family-friendly place to learn photography! www.lenspiration.com
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#rainyday #homeschool #conference #familylife #puddlejumping
Join me for some LIVE photo coaching on Tuesday, April 28! Register at link in bio.
