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!
Behind the Shot: Diamond Ring
Diamond Ring August 21, 2017 Total Solar Eclipse Downloadable as a free desktop wallpaper for Lenspiration subscribers The first time I heard about it was in early July. "Hey, you planning on taking any pictures of the solar eclipse next month?" a friend asked as I...
Do I Ever Delete Photos?
In this digital age, the cost of snapping a photo is insanely cheap. But does that mean I keep every single photo I take? This is a question someone asked me the other day, and an important question for those who are just starting to think about how they will set...
How Bulb Mode Works
Did you know that the longest shutter speed your camera offers is 30 seconds? Even in full Manual mode, you can’t set the shutter speed to be any longer than 30 seconds. So, what do you do if you want to open the shutter speed for longer than that? This snapshot of...
This Week’s Opportunity to Shoot to Serve
Looking for a little purpose to put into your photography practice? Why not shoot for the latest Shoot to Serve assignment? Sharpening Character is looking for a concept photo to backdrop Romans 5:7-8 for their next VersePic: "For scarcely for a righteous man will...
A Marvel Worth Musing On
It was surprisingly warm for a late-September evening as I lay there gazing up at the stars. My brother and I had dragged out our cots and sleeping bags onto the driveway, and oh! it was worth the effort just to be able to gaze up into that incredibly clear sky!...
50 Epic Photos! Which 12 Are Your Favorite?
Would you like to have a say in which pictures go into the 2018 Lenspiration calendar? I’ve narrowed it down to 50. Now I’m looking for outside input to get it down to 12! Take a few minutes to like and comment on your favorite photos in the 2018 Calendar...
Stacking My 3 Favorite Filters
Stumbling on the “perfect perspective” doesn’t happen by random chance very often. And finding a good angle to shoot Mt. Shasta reflected in Lake Siskiyou was no exception. I spent a lot of time trying to find a good spot, and it’s ironic how easily accessible the...
Someone’s Looking For Your Photos
Have any random photos of storm clouds? If you’ll take the time to submit them, there’s someone willing to use them. Last week’s Shoot to Serve photo request came from the IBLP Family Conferences. They were looking for pictures of storm clouds to use as a...
Finding Extraordinary Photos In An Ordinary Park
Remember the story from Gibson Ranch that I blogged about last week? Well, here’s a video about how I took those pictures! As you watch me find, set up and photograph the pictures I take, maybe it will give you the inspiration or new ideas you need to start taking...
Four Photographers Get Some Great Advice
Thank you, photographers, for participating in the recent Shoot to Serve photo assignment, Titus 3:5-6 VersPic Opportunity! Here’s an update from the VersePic director, Ben, on why he used the picture he used and why he didn’t use the pictures he didn’t use. This...
A Story From Gibson Ranch
Back in July, after the Sacramento Family Conference, there was a group of conference staff that needed to get to the airport early Saturday morning. Even though it meant getting up at like 3:30am to get them there (and we were all exhausted from running the...
The Photographer’s Roadmap Infographic
The last Photography Team of the year is almost here! Looking forward to heading up to Wisconsin on Monday for the Green Lake Family Conference. In preparation for it, I put together a fun little infographic that I’ll be handing out to the attending photographers....
Behind the Shot: Spot of Green
It wasn’t the best sunset in the world, that balmy evening I spent with Jonathan on top of Enchanted Rock in Texas earlier this month, but I was very grateful that the clouds broke away just enough to make a sunburst for that one, single composition I had figured...
Is This Really What I Think It Is?
What sort of a building do you suppose this is? Do you think it could be what I think it is? An old, one room school house? I saw it setting next to the road as I was driving down the Belmont Turnpike in north-western Pennsylvania near Waymart with my family the...
Ideas for Photographing Groomsmen
Some creative ideas specifically for posing the groom and groomsmen.
Watch An Entire Photo Critique Webinar for Free!
The photo critique webinar on Tuesday night was fantastic! We delved into more advanced stuff like color schemes, balance in composition, and the difference in twilight zones at blue hour. But while that video replay is not available to the public, I thought it...
How I Came to Discover One of Illinois’ Hidden Landscape Photography Gems
We’re all familiar with the place in Colorado called Garden of the Gods, but did you know there was a hidden landscape photography gem in southern Illinois that goes by the same name? Here’s how I happened to discover it… Once upon a time, several years ago, I...
Behind the Shot: Castle Crags
Castle Crags Wilderness in the shadow of Mt. Shasta in northern California is a pretty amazing place! But even with epic surroundings, I still have to put thought into how I compose my shots (among other factors) so they’ll still look epic when I view them later on...
11 Tips From My Photography Trip To California
You might say it was cheating on the last trip … It was to California, a true vacation of backpacking, hammocking, pristine wilderness, alpine vistas, epic sunsets, snow-capped mountain…yeah, who needs to be a pro to get awesome pictures with surroundings like...
Favorite Shots from the Sacramento Photography Team
Similar to last year’s Photography Team, it was awesome to see the team at the 2017 Sacramento Family Conference grow from an initial 3 expected photographers to a grand total of 6! Here are a few of my favorite shots from the team, and why I like them. Photo by...
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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
