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!
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...
12 Tips For Puppy Photography
In case you hadn’t noticed, some excellent advice on puppy photography was written up on the FREE Forums last week! It was so good, I wanted to make sure everyone was able to learn from it here on the blog. Thank you @buddingphotographer for these 12 great tips!...
A Few Ways To Improve A Wedding Photoshoot
Some new ideas James tried out when shooting this wedding, including a group shot and ideas on editing B&W.
Photo Critique of Emu at Sunrise
With 4 questions to discuss and 7 pictures to critique, the PRO Critique and Q&A webinar with the PRO Members earlier this month went really well. So well, in fact, that we went over the 1-hour time slot I had originally allotted for the webinar! Here’s a short...
How The Shot Was Taken: Timber Island
I heard that the Jonsrud View Point was a good place to photograph Mt. Hood without having to travel very far outside of Portland. And I suppose it would be a good overlook if there weren’t any clouds to obstruct the view. But since it happened to be quite cloudy...
A Few Portraiture Tips From My Interview With A Pro
A short piece of a transcript from an interview with a professional portrait photographer.
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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
