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!
Christmas Tip: Blurry Background Christmas Lights
It’s been a while since I’ve posted something! Been too busy wrapping Christmas presents, decorating Christmas cookies, putting up Christmas lights, practicing special music . . . and celebrating the birth of Christ on Christmas Day itself! When I’m busy I don’t...
An Illustration of Trust
As I was reading through Isaiah not too long ago, I came across this verse that seemed to put this entire past year into perspective: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the...
Dealing with Fears in Photography
Are you a shy photographer? Learn how to transform negative fears into positive motivation!
One Time Only Sale for Email Subscribers!
I’ve never done this before. But I just love getting special deals and think it's only appropriate that I should be giving a special deal to my email subscribers this weekend too. Plus, it's something else you can give thanks for! 🙂 Normally, a box of 10 2016...
How to Get Your Nature Shots Used
Nature photography can be an enjoyable hobby, but can nature pictures really be used for anything? As a landscape photographer, this is a question I ponder often. I spend a lot of time getting just the perfect picture for my own personal enjoyment, but is that...
Do You Know How to Use Exposure Compensation?
I consider Exposure Compensation to be one of the 10 most important controls on your camera. Do you know what it is and how to use it? In Lesson 2.6 of the Basic DSLR Photography Course, I talk all about it! If you’re a PRO Member, click here to view the lesson...
How to Back Up Your Pictures
Have you ever lost pictures due to hard drive failure? Do you have a backup system in place just in case? Is online storage a good backup option? There’s been a super helpful thread going on over on the General Photography Forum called Online Storage Options that I...
Download a Free Autumn Desktop Background!
Seeing my latest favorite picture on my computer desktop me to keep taking better pictures! Do you have a fresh, new inspirational background on your desktop at the moment? Here’s the one I’m currently using: This shot was taken at an ugly, half-covered-in weeds...
5 Tips For Shooting Before or After Peak Color
The autumn foliage is just about gone where I’m from here in West Virginia, but there is still plenty of color to shoot . . . especially if you can keep the following tips in mind! The autumn foliage doesn’t have to be peak to get awesome pictures . . . 1. Shoot...
5 Reasons Why the Printed Calendar Isn’t Extinct Yet
With electronic calendars on mobile devices as the norm these days, have you ever thought about why there are still printed calendars around? Here’s my list of 5 reasons why I think people still like to use printed calendars. 1. It’s easier to write on paper than...
The Difference the Sun Can Make
While I was in Vermont taking pictures for Garland Goat Soap (as I talked about in my last post), I continued to shoot in the area as I had opportunity. Most mornings, it was either cloudy or I was too tired from working late the night before to get out for a...
First Shot at Product Photography
I spent much of last week photographing products for Garland Goat Soap of Vermont. After a complete redesign of their product labels, they are now making headway on completely revamping their website. And a new website needs new pictures! I’ve dabbled in product...
Random Update
It’s been a long day and I’m really ready to hit the hay, but I figured I’d at least show a few pictures from my stay here at the Moore’s house in Vermont. I’m working on a big project for their business, Garland Goat Soap of Vermont, shooting product images of...
Where We Went During CAPTURE Vermont
During the scouting excursions before CAPTURE Vermont began, I found it difficult to find great spots for a large group of photographers to stop and explore. New England is captured best one pull off at a time. However, I was able to find a few places that still...
Update from Green Vermont (and Tips on Focusing in the Dark)
Vermont was a little greener than I expected at this time of year! The warmth of summer continued longer than normal and has pushed the fall colors later too. But this unfortunate and unexpected turn of events would proved to be a good challenge for the CAPTURE...
Have a Picture of Tree Rings? I’ll Pay You For It!
Last week, two photographers on Lenspiration got paid $50 and $30 when several pictures they submitted were chosen through the PRO Community’s Shoot to Serve forum. Those opportunities are closed now, but I just now added two more paying opportunities! These are...
Why I Shoot for Excellence in Everything
Sometimes I wish there was something more purposeful to shoot than the “flowers in my backyard”. And yet, if I do not know how to shoot my backyard with excellence, how can I expect (or be expected by others) to shoot with excellence things that are more important?...
The “Morale Booster”
Remember the image submissions I was seeking earlier this month? For the ITG calendar? In the post, Do You Have a Picture that Might Look Nice in a Calendar?, I asked the PRO members if they had any pictures they thought would look nice in a calendar in exchange...
How I Shot an Architectural Assignment
After a great summer of ACTION workshops and writing the Basic DSLR Photography Course, travels for the autumn season have officially begun! Because I’ll be on the road a lot, I won’t be able to post in as much detail as I normally do, but I’m still going to do my...
The 2016 Calendar Process
Hey everybody, thanks for helping me choose the pictures for the 2016 Lenspiration calendar! Of the 66 pictures to choose from, I narrowed it down to the top 12 and have now started to work on incorporating those pictures in to the rest of the calendar. It’s quite...
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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
