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!
Chasing the 4th and Final Chance for Golden Hour Light at Cades Cove
The light from my headlamp illuminated the canopy of forest surrounding the deserted path stretching out in front of me. The pitch black darkness beyond was deep and impenetrable...
New Photo Assignment: Filling Your Niche
Being on the road for most of the month of May, there wasn't enough time to create a video to demonstrate how to shoot the next Shoot to Serve photo assignment. However, I did take some great photos for it! Having spent some time with Julianna's family this week, it wasn't hard to ask her and a couple of her siblings to pose for me as they were going about filling special niches in life...
A Christian Photographer’s Inspiring Perspective
Friends of mine first recommended Jeffrey Cummings to me because he's a Christian photographer who shares great perspectives on photography. When I read the following post on his blog, I thought it would be an excellent read for everyone here at Lenspiration, and Jeff was more than happy to share...
Fortunately Unfortunately: My Adventures In Landscape Photography At Cades Cove
Have you ever played the game, "Fortunately, Unfortunately"? Well, I recently had a landscape photography experience at Cades Cove in Tennessee that made me feel like I was living out one of those stories! And at first, I wasn't laughing.
On Assignment: 5 Types of Birds
On the heels of April's early-rising Shoot to Serve assignment comes another assignment that just might have you getting out early as well! 5 distinct categories of birds are mentioned in the Bible, and this month, our goal is to capture a quality photo of a bird from each of those five categories . . .
Proving a Point from a Midday Photo Shoot
Every year as I prepare for homeschool conventions, I like to keep the Photo Classes fresh and interesting...
Stepping Outdoors for some Epic Landscape Workshops!
While preparing for upcoming landscape workshops the other day, I ran into some photos in my Lightroom catalog that I don't think I had ever shared here on the blog before! So, sit back and get ready to enjoy some pretty photos from random excursions from the past!...
Miracle Mountain Ranch Photo Summit: Snapshots from My Journal
Thursday, April 3, 2025 - Last-Minute Car Swap Julianna & I headed to the homestead after work to celebrate Joshua's birthday because Robert & Kendalyn were in town from Texas. Driving over, I could tell the knocking noise coming from under the car was...
On Assignment: The Glory of the Morning
As soon as I found out what this month's Shoot to Serve photo assignment was going to be, I knew immediately where I would shoot it. In some respects, the location I had in mind wasn't ideal, but there were some special, morning memories associated with the spot that I wanted to revisit. And as it turned out, the location happened to be better for the photo shoot than I had originally thought!
Top 10 Favorites from IAHE
Ever been to a homeschool convention before? If not, here are some photos to give you an idea of what it's like! The Indiana Association of Home Educators (IAHE) invited me come out to Fort Wayne last weekend to cover their annual event and teach the IAHE Photo Class. I took hundreds of photos, but here are my top 10 favorites.
An Exciting Long-Distance Photography Adventure
You never know what adventures you’ll find yourself in as a photographer, or as a family member of a photographer. I happen to find myself simultaneously in both of those positions. 🙂 However, sometimes it’s not even the photographer in the family who initiates the photography adventures, as you’ll see in the story below. . .
It All Started With Some Pretty Pictures…
Mordecai's fussiness suddenly ceased when he saw the smooth, dark green object in my hand. Wherever it moved, his eyes moved with it...
Every Beautiful Photo Relies on This One Essential Element
Some time ago, Julianna and I spent time with friends in the beautiful mountains of western North Carolina. Almost every day was spent searching for a beautiful photo of a beautiful object in a truly beautiful area...
On Assignment: Portraits of Flowers
I couldn't wait to photograph this month's photo assignment! I have wanted to try taking a studio portrait of flowers for a long time now and here was my opportunity...
Come Take Pictures With Me!
"Darling!" James spun around in his office chair and flashed an excited smile . . .
Illustrating Bible Verses with My Rock Collection
In my previous post I described my icy venture into sub-zero temperatures to photograph this month's photo assignment, The Solid Rock. Being away from home, I used what I could think of in the vicinity, and the stately, stone structures that dot the landscape of...
On Assignment: The Solid Rock
It's not every day that you get to experience the extremes we find in God's creation. But when the day came for me to film the next Shoot to Serve photo assignment, The Solid Rock, I came face to face with an extreme I had never encountered before...
Is It Safe to Use My Camera in Extreme Cold?
I tramped through the blowing snow, camera dangling around my neck, hands dug deep into my pockets to protect them from the extreme cold. The clouds were thick and puffy above me. Every once in a while a flurry of snow would come swirling through the valley. But it...
A Lenspiration Adventure: How Rubber Floor Mats Saved The Day
If you've been following along with what we've been doing here at Lenspiration, you'll know that this month's photo assignment is "Scenic Seasonal Paths" and that I went to go take pictures for it on the spur of the moment because snowflakes were accounted as gold...
On Assignment: Scenic Seasonal Paths
After last month's relatively difficult assignment, I was excited to get out and photograph something a little more up my alley. But just because this assignment is easier doesn't mean it doesn't have its own special twist. The fun part about this assignment is the...
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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.
