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!
Finding Fall Color on Old Rag Mountain
Fall is coming! And yesterday I had the opportunity to go on a quick hike with friends up Old Rag Mountain, one of the most strenuous yet beautiful hikes in Virginia. I’d been looking forward to this hike for a few weeks, and was expecting some autumn color to be...
The Man Behind the Video Camera
Thought you might enjoy this little teaser my brother Jonathan threw together for me the other day! 🙂 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8D4dqDPrw3Y Jonathan loves to travel just like I do except his artistic bent is toward videography. We complement each...
Are You A Lenspiration Calendar Fan?
If so, you’ll be excited to know that the 2017 Lenspiration Calendar is now available! For this one, I chose hymns that feature the theme, Come, Praise the Lord with Me, based on John W. Peterson’s 1987 hymn so masterfully arranged by The Wilds. Do you notice any...
A Few Quick Critiques
Here are a few tips for you to enjoy from the latest PRO Critique webinar! I know it’s only 5 short minutes taken from the hour spent in critiquing the PRO members’ submissions, but I’m sure there’s something you could pull from it anyway:...
On the Edge of the Plateau
Bear Rocks is a widely recognized symbol of West Virginia wilderness and a frequently photographed scenic area in the state. Last week, I had the opportunity to spend an entire day photographing this well-known landmark on the eastern edge of the Dolly Sods...
Help Make Lenspiration’s Free Content More Helpful For You
I love to blog . . . if it has to do with photography, I’ll write about it! But what good is it to blog about photography if it isn’t helpful for other photographers? The blog is my outlet for providing observers like you with regular, useful, free content. But I...
The Powerful Influence of Visual Media to Change the Course of History
As a photographer, the opening paragraphs of a political news article I read the other day really caught my attention. It put into words what I had always perceived to be true but had not yet ever tried to articulate. During the very first nationally televised...
The Subtle Difference of HDR
I tinker around with HDR merging every once in a while, but I’m seldom pleased with the results. Like, even after merging a series of photos together, I still feel like I’m limited with the amount of detail I can pull out of the highlights and shadows. All too...
What We Learned On The Green Lake Photography Team
I just got back from the last ACTION photography workshop of the year in Green Lake, Wisconsin. Like the five other homeschool Conferences from over the summer, it was a blast! Here are some of the photos we took over the week and what we learned in shooting them....
Behind The Shot: Paths Of The Sea
Even on a Photography Missions Trip, I can’t seem to get away from landscape photography. I envisioned the shot that eventually became “Paths Of The Sea” days in advance. After a great week of mission work in Tijuana, the missions team planned to cross the border...
Winning These Photography Awards Was More Than A Coincidence!
What do you notice about the ribbons in the snapshot below? How many “big” blue ribbons do you see? . . . the two that happen to say “Best Youth Award” and “Best Of Show”? Two, right? Exactly! Two. And they belong to the only two Lenspiration PRO Member who entered...
Have You Ever Had A Chance To Photograph This Creature Before?
Even though I've lived in rural West Virginia for about 14 years, it wasn't until this summer that I finally felt I had a sporting chance at photographing one of the most elusive creatures that silently frequent our area. Though I hear their eery call regularly,...
A Story About Mexico Culture . . . Told With Pictures!
I’m on the Photography Missions Trip in Tijuana this week! Today, the mission team worked on cleaning out and fixing up what will be a third mission center for MissionTalk. Meanwhile, the construction team was hard at work on a big project . . . It’s fun to...
First Time for Everything . . . Like Shooting an Event Close to Home!
I’ve lived in West Virginia for over a decade now, and yet I’ve photographed very few photojournalistic-like projects around here. Sure, I’ve shot lots of WV FEW Conferences, Apple Butter Festivals and various ministry outreaches we do as a family, but those I...
Behind The Shot: Patriotic Expression
Have you ever spent the 4th of July at an airport? Travel has it’s unfavorable flavors sometimes. When I dropped off the car at a local hotel for a week of parking near the airport, the lady at the desk asked about my Independence Day vacation plans as she pulled...
Best Shots From My Brothers Wedding!
Favorite shots from James' brother's wedding, with comments on why James likes them or how they were taken.
How Slight Rearranging Can Make All The Difference In The World
An example which demonstrates that taking time to rearrange the way you set up a family can make a difference in the end result of the photos.
The Photography Team That Kept Growing!
One photography instructor, praying for the Sacramento Photography Team new; One photographer signs up early—how exciting that there are two! Two photographers waiting, hoping for more sign-ups to see; A regular registration comes in—all are glad that there are now...
How Do I Make This Composition Work?
During the CAPTURE Alaska workshop back in 2014, we stopped to have a chat with Alaska landscape and lifestyle photographer Jeff Schultz at his studio in Anchorage. Jeff’s work has been published all over the world, he founded Alaska’s largest stock agency, Alaska...
Behind The Shot: Lost At Sea
I can’t think of very many pictures I’ve taken that has a more wild story behind it than this one . . . Lost at Sea Islas de Todos Santos, Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico (Subscribe to Latest from Lenspiration updates to download as desktop...
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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.
