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!
On Assignment: The Intricacy of God’s Creation
There are several ways you can do macro photography on a budget, but for this assignment (see details here!) I explored one way I had never tried before! It’s true that flipping the lens isn’t the sharpest way to create macro photos. For starters, macro...
The Best Kind of Photography Job
It was very dark when I pulled into the driveway. But the headlights revealed quite a stately homestead. A gate led through an ivy-wrapped archway into a manicured back lawn where a shapely pool reflected the light reflecting off the clouds from downtown Dallas, 20...
6 Observations from A Very Special Event
A special event just happened last week that made me appreciate portrait photographers a whole lot more. Their experience. Their patience. Their expertise. You see, instead of being the portrait photographer, this event found myself on the other side of the lens. I...
Going Deeper Than First Impression
Looking forward to the first homeschool convention of year next week! Never been to a THSC Convention before. They say it’s the “biggest and best homeschool convention in Texas.” I guess we’ll find out soon what it’s like! Thinking about heading to Texas got me...
How Much More Can I Learn?
For last month’s photo assignment, 6 photographers submitted 44 photos. There were some fantastic photos among those 44, but there was one in particular that I really liked. This photo was submitted by Samuel West: When critiquing everyone’s photos on the Coaching...
On Assignment: Photos of American Patriotism!
I was so excited when Pennsylvania State Representative Andrew Lewis said we could do a photo assignment for him! This could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! And as such, not even a snowy day could keep me from shooting (or at least attempting to shoot!) some...
Revisiting a Photo Shoot From 2015
Any guesses as to which State this capitol building belongs to? I’ve only been to this State capitol building one time. Driven through the city many times, but only stopped in downtown once. And the reason I was there was to take some pictures for a client! He was...
An Example of a Published Photographer
Let me show you a photo that my Grandpa took back in, ...actually, wait a minute... can you guess what year it was taken? This was a question I asked on the last coaching webinar. And I said whoever guessed closest to correct would be the featured Lenspiration...
Can You Fake Golden Hour?
I was going through my archives today, looking for example photos for some new training material. And I came across this simple, well-composed shot taken in pretty much the middle of the day. It’s a grand-looking photo because, yeah, it’s literally the Grand...
On Assignment: Family Moments Together
As I was preparing for this month’s assignment, Christian from Christian Family Reformation introduced me to this idea of a new kind of photography I hadn’t really tried doing professionally before: Family Photojournalism. Why not professionally, artistically,...
Which One Would You Hang On Your Wall?
With the next assignment coming up, I spent last Tuesday shooting and filming it with some friends out in eastern West Virginia. But shooting the assignment wasn’t the only thing we did! We played Clue and cracked riddles around the campfire and scrambled through...
Exploring Balance
Since I’m not traveling much at this time of year, it’s a great time explore new territory in photography knowledge! Recently, I’ve been working on a new course on photography composition. And it’s been very interesting! This week I was hashing out particulars on...
What I Learned On My Latest Birding Excursion
It was fun photographing birds with some fellow photographers the other week. I liked the pictures I took so I thought maybe I should blog about it. Hideaway Countryside near Cheshire, Connecticut Download as free desktop background in next Latest from Lenspiration...
On Assignment: Colors of the Bible
As promised last week, the new photo assignment is now launched! You have until Saturday, February 26 to photograph the three colors of the Bible that Suzanne is requesting. And you might want to start on it early. Who knows what unexpected things you might run...
Can You See Color?
A new photo assignment is launching next Friday! We’ll be shooting once again for Suzanne Shera of Lightlab Etc! I first met Suzanne at the CHAP convention in 2019 and we’ve been in touch ever since. She wrote a book, Lightlab, that teaches children around the ages...
Directing Attention to the Subject
My brother Michael works as a beekeeper at a giant apple orchard on an abandoned coal mine site in southern West Virginia. The abandoned coal mine site is giant too. Like, ginormous! Hundreds and hundreds of acres of empty West Virginia wilderness. The bee yards he...
How I Edit: Apartment Fortress
The other day, I ran across an interesting photo in my archives. It was Easter Sunday, 2011. I was working in South Korea and had decided to visit a friend in the military stationed at the Osan Air Base. It was early afternoon, and we were taking the scenic route...
On Assignment: Wisemen Silhouettes
I had such a great time with this assignment! At first, I didn’t know how I was going to do it. I wasn’t even sure if I could do it! But approaching it one step at a time, and solving one problem at a time, I was neat to see how it all come together. This...
Help Make Lenspiration Better in 2022!
2021 has been a great year! In January, we finished shooting for Calvary Baptist Church’s calendar they printed in Europe for 2022. Plans are in the works to get one shipped out to each photographer who’s photo was included in it! After months of planning and hard...
Only 20 To Go! (And the Story Behind the October Cutout)
You wouldn’t happen to need a stock photo, would you? Like, maybe, any one of these? The reason I ask is because, if I can sell 150 photos on Adobe Stock before the end of the year, I can get a free one-year subscription to Lightroom. And since I don’t need it...
Get each article as soon as it goes live!
Recommended Ebook
What are we up to?
Follow along with Lenspiration travels…
The last light of a vibrant spring day fades on a budding magnolia tree.
--
Turn snapshots into wow-shots! Become a photographer: www.lenspiration.com
--
#landscapephoto #landscape #landscapephotography #art #nature #photo #godscreation #creation #greatoutdoors #outdoors #explore #optoutside #landscapeshot #canon #outdoorlife #photographyeducator #photoblogger #christianphotographer #photography #photographer #wvphotographer #lenspiration #spring #flower #flowers #composition #colorful
I just love how soft and fuzzy the mountains look from the air! I had never noticed this until that surprise ride a couple weeks ago. See blog post on that.
--
Become a photographer: www.lenspiration.com/blog
--
#landscapephoto #landscape #landscapephotography #art #nature #photo #godscreation #creation #greatoutdoors #outdoors #explore #optoutside #landscapeshot #canon #outdoorlife #photographyeducator #photoblogger #christianphotographer #photography #photographer #wvphotographer #lenspiration #aeriel #wilderness #fuzzy #march #winter #planeride
A beautiful sunset from the other day.... "Oh those West Virginia hills!" 🎶
--
Become a photographer: www.lenspiration.com
--
#landscapephoto #landscape #landscapephotography #art #nature #photo #godscreation #creation #greatoutdoors #outdoors #explore #optoutside #landscapeshot #canon #outdoorlife #photographyeducator #photoblogger #christianphotographer #photography #photographer #wvphotographer #lenspiration #almostheaven #gotowv #wildwonderfulwestvirginia #wildwonderfulwv #sunset
It`s amazing how beautiful "stick season" can be! This is an unnamed (probably seasonal) waterfall next to a forest road in Georgia photographed on an airport run to Atlanta. Beauty is everywhere for those who can see and capture it!
--
Become a photographer: www.lenspiration.com
--
#landscapephoto #landscape #landscapephotography #art #nature #photo #godscreation #creation #greatoutdoors #outdoors #explore #optoutside #landscapeshot #canon #outdoorlife #photographyeducator #photoblogger #christianphotographer #photography #photographer #wvphotographer #lenspiration #waterfall #georgia #nationalforest #morning #glow
Middle of the day is hard to shoot overlooks, so I opted for a low key exposure and moody edit of this break in the trees along a forest road in the Nantahala National Forest.
--
Become a photographer: www.lenspiration.com
--
#landscapephoto #landscape #landscapephotography #art #nature #photo #godscreation #creation #greatoutdoors #outdoors #explore #optoutside #landscapeshot #canon #outdoorlife #photographyeducator #photoblogger #christianphotographer #photography #photographer #wvphotographer #lenspiration #midday #moody #overlook #northcarolina
Spent some time in a creek today 😄
--
Become a photographer: www.lenspiration.com
--
#landscapephoto #landscape #landscapephotography #art #nature #photo #godscreation #creation #greatoutdoors #outdoors #explore #optoutside #landscapeshot #canon #outdoorlife #photographyeducator #photoblogger #christianphotographer #photography #photographer #wvphotographer #lenspiration #northcarolina #roadside
Early morning mountiain bicycling! Didn`t bring my camera for this one. 😄
--
Become a photographer: www.lenspiration.com
--
#photographyeducator #photoblogger #christianphotographer #photography #photographer #wvphotographer #lenspiration #northcarolina #mountain #mountainbike
Had an incredible opportunity to photograph the mountains of North Carolina from the air this morning!
--
Become a photographer: www.lenspiration.com
--
#photographyeducator #photoblogger #christianphotographer #photography #photographer #wvphotographer #lenspiration #aerielphotography #aeriel #flying #flight
I had never once thought to photograph a worm, until the other day I saw one crawling across rhe driveway!
--
Become a photographer: www.lenspiration.com
--
#photographyeducator #photoblogger #christianphotographer #photography #photographer #wvphotographer #lenspiration #wildlifephotography #wildlifephoto #wildlife #animal #godscreation #creationproclaims
#creation #creator #godthecreator #worm #earthworm #signsofspring #spring
God is very generous to give us beautiful sunsets on a regular basis 🤩
--
Become a photographer: www.lenspiration.com
--
#landscapephoto #landscape #landscapephotography #art #nature #photo #godscreation #creation #greatoutdoors #outdoors #explore #optoutside #landscapeshot #canon #outdoorlife #photographyeducator #photoblogger #christianphotographer #photography #photographer #wvphotographer #lenspiration #bahamas #sunset #palmtree #godscreation
A large background element + a small foreground element + wide angle lens = interesting composition!
--
Become a photographer: www.lenspiration.com
--
#landscapephoto #landscape #landscapephotography #art #nature #photo #godscreation #creation #greatoutdoors #outdoors #explore #optoutside #landscapeshot #canon #outdoorlife #photographyeducator #photoblogger #christianphotographer #photography #photographer #wvphotographer #lenspiration #mountain #California @visitmammoth
A February sunrise in the State Park closest to where I live: Waters Smith Memorial State Park, West Virginia.
--
Become a photographer: www.lenspiration.com
--
#landscapephoto #landscape #landscapephotography #art #nature #photo #godscreation #creation #greatoutdoors #outdoors #explore #optoutside #landscapeshot #canon #outdoorlife #photographyeducator #photoblogger #christianphotographer #photography #photographer #wvphotographer #lenspiration #gotowv #sunrisephotography #sunrise
While visiting my grandparents in northern West Virginia once years ago, I asked a neighbor if I could roam around on his farm with my camera. It was a great way to open new doors to new angles and perspectives in the area!
--
Become a photographer: www.lenspiration.com
--
#landscapephoto #landscape #landscapephotography #art #nature #photo #godscreation #creation #greatoutdoors #outdoors #explore #optoutside #landscapeshot #canon #outdoorlife #photographyeducator #photoblogger #christianphotographer #photography #photographer #wvphotographer #lenspiration #horse #horses #snow #cold #winter #snowphotography #horsesinthesnow
Do you think this photo, taken in the farmland of north-central Florida, works as a centered composition, or not? Heart or let me know in the comments. Studying centered compositions and how to make them work.
--
Become a photographer: www.lenspiration.com
--
#landscapephoto #landscape #landscapephotography #art #nature #photo #godscreation #creation #greatoutdoors #outdoors #explore #optoutside #landscapeshot #photographyeducator #photoblogger #christianphotographer #photography #wvphotographer #lenspiration #composition #poll #question #help #farmland #cow #opinionpoll #feedback #feedbackplease
This photo reminds me of a photo taken by a student photographer from New Zealand who was featured in today`s blog post! See her work at www.lenspiration.com/blog
--
Become a photographer: www.lenspiration.com
--
#landscapephoto #landscape #landscapephotography #art #nature #photo #godscreation #creation #greatoutdoors #outdoors #explore #optoutside #landscapeshot #canon #outdoorlife #photographyeducator #photoblogger #christianphotographer #photography #photographer #wvphotographer #lenspiration #spring #flowers #westvirginia #gotowv
An interesting perspective on the interior of the Kansas State Capitol Builsing Dome.
--
Become a photographer: www.lenspiration.com
--
#photographyeducator #photoblogger #christianphotographer #photography #photographer #wvphotographer #lenspiration #architecturephotography #architecture
A unique rock formation in Alabama Hills, California. Closest thing to an elephant I`ve seen in the wild; how could I not photograph it! 😄
--
Become a photographer: www.lenspiration.com
--
#landscapephoto #landscape #landscapephotography #art #nature #photo #godscreation #creation #greatoutdoors #outdoors #explore #optoutside #landscapeshot #canon #outdoorlife #photographyeducator #photoblogger #christianphotographer #photography #photographer #wvphotographer #lenspiration #alabamahills #rock #rockformation
Never processed photos from this shoot from years ago while out on the West Coast. What obvious distraction prevents this from being a masterpiece?
--
Become a photographer: www.lenspiration.com
--
#landscapephoto #landscape #landscapephotography #art #nature #photo #godscreation #creation #greatoutdoors #outdoors #explore #optoutside #landscapeshot #canon #outdoorlife #photographyeducator #photoblogger #christianphotographer #photography #photographer #wvphotographer #lenspiration #westcoast #lighthouse #distraction #glow #ocean
