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!
Why I Don’t Like Blown-Out Highlights
On the third day of our trip, we traveled from LA to San Diego. We happened to be close by Torry Pines State Beach when the golden hour set it, so we decided to stop in for sunset. A friend of mine who we were visiting recommended this place (among other places) as...
Traveling Down the Coast
On the second day of this week’s road trip, we drove down the California coast from Santa Cruz to Los Angeles. We took a stroll through a stand of beautiful redwood trees at Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park in the morning while the light was still ambient. I really...
Little Things Make A Big Difference
My brother Jonathan, a friend Clayton and myself are taking a trip through California this week! I’m calling our little vacation “The California Loop” because we are traveling down along the coast from Sacramento to San Diego, and then back up again to Sacramento...
Meet the Sacramento Photography Team
Just finished up the Sacramento Event Photography Workshop! Here are a few pictures of the photography team and a brief overview of what we talked about each day before putting what we learned into practice by shooting assignments throughout the four days of the...
Editing Pictures in Sacramento!
Very excited to be in Sacramento, California, this week! This is the last Event Photography workshop of the year, held at the Sacramento ATI Family Conference. It started yesterday and the team of 11 photographers covering the event have been having a blast! Of the...
If These Are From the Middle of the Day . . .
Here are a few shots from my scouting excursion in southern Virginia. I didn’t have the privilege of hitting any of these locations during the golden hours, but that’s ok if you have a good compass so you will know where the sun will be when you can come back...
Don’t Forget About Your Teeth!
I went to the dentist for a checkup the other day for the first time in years. (They’re expensive you know!) Well, I was pretty scared that I was going to have cavities. You see, because I’m traveling around a lot, I am not always in the position to brush my teeth...
The Artistic Foreground-in-Focus Effect
Here’s a recent snippet from the Lenspiration Forum. SarahLeePhoto submitted two images and I thought the discussion was really insightful. Photos by SarahLeePhoto SarahLeePhoto: I would be interested to hear any critique or opinions about these draft horse shots....
I Missed the Moment
After the HEAV Convention last weekend, I stopped in Gretna, Virginia, for an evening and a morning to do some scouting for CAPTURE Virginia. One of the locations I wanted to check out was Smith Mountain Lake State Park. I was on the lookout for small beaches,...
Learning Photography at HEAV
There were plenty of things to take pictures of at the HEAV (Home Educators Association of Virginia) Convention this last weekend! But with a team of 10 photographers we had it covered! At 12,500 in attendance, it was the largest convention or conference I had been...
Great Thoughts on the Best Shots
“The learning is in the doing” was my theme for the Event Photography Workshop at the Family Conference in Nashville last week. And we certainly had plenty of opportunity to get some hands-on practice! With more than a thousand attending the Conference and with 3...
How to Shoot Overlooks
I had the opportunity to shoot quite a few beautiful vistas while I was down in western North Carolina last week. Terrestrial OceanBlue Ridge Parkway near Devil’s Courthouse, North Carolina The biggest challenge with shooting overlooks is creating depth. When...
5 Favorite Locations
I’ve been doing quite a bit of location research in preparation for CAPTURE California coming up here in June, from the 25th to the 28th. Whether or not you’ll be coming to the workshop, I thought I’d share the top spots I think are best for shooting in the...
The Day I Met a Pro
Something quite extraordinary happened to me the other day. As I travel around the country, I inherently notice if there are other photographers around. Sometimes it feels kind of odd to be walking around airports with a camera-backpack and tripod as my carry-on...
A Glimpse of North Carolina
After the CEF Conference, I headed south to Pisgah National Forest, North Carolina, to do some scouting in preparation for the CAPTURE North Carolina workshop which will be held October 8-11 this year. I set up camp in the Black Balsam area, at the base of Sam...
Learned Something New Today Yet?
Summer travels have begun! This weekend finds me in Ridgecrest, North Carolina at the CEF International Conference. Having been here a few years ago, I knew of a nice overlook on the campus that I was able to drive out to right around sunset. Hadn’t ever been there...
Watch Your Focus!
This first shot was taken the other day as I was taking a walk through the woods with a friend. We were both enjoying the beautiful weather and spring smells as we chatted away. I had my camera with me and I was snapping shots here and there of the different things...
Free eBook!
Let me introduce you to my first eBook ever! 10 Camera Settings Every Photographer Should Know . . . Instinctively is a concise compilation of what I’ve found to be the foundation for making the most of your SLR camera. Subscribe to the Lenspiration updates to...
Can You Guess My Favorite State for Taking Pictures?
Where do you think my favorite state is to take pictures? Yes, the pictures below have probably already given it away, but where would you have guessed before now? Many of you will probably guess West Virginia, as my beloved home state boasts some awesome spots for...
The new Lenspiration.com is Live!
In case you haven’t already noticed, the new Lenspiration.com has been launched. The Lenspiration community can now begin! The appearance of the blog, the store, the portfolio, the wallpapers page . . . everything has been updated. Exciting times! But what makes me...
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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.
