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!
The Key to Orderliness
I had a lot to unpack today! Last Wednesday, my brother Donald and I drove down to Knoxville, Tennessee, to be a part of the National Bible Bee. I operated a booth for the CAPTURE workshops and 2014 Lenspiraiton Calendars while Donald worked as a runner and...
Early Bird Sale on the Lenspiration Calendars
I’m running the one and only sale on the 2014 Lenspiration Calendar! Whether you’re buying 1 or 100 calendars, save $1.00 per calendar when you place an order before December 1st. Want a few? If you just want some calendars to hand out as gifts, hang in your...
From the Perspective of the Other Photographers
Ultimately, it doesn’t matter how my pictures turn out during a CAPTURE workshop. What really matters is how the photos from the photographers attending the workshop turn out. So, forget my perspective! Here are a few shots from some of the photographers who...
Where We Went in Kansas
I can’t believe it’s been over three weeks since we finished up CAPTURE Kansas! But I didn’t want it to slip by without giving a few more details about how it went. Taking “wow” pictures requires a whole lot more than just visiting “wow” locations. You have to be...
Life on the Farm
I’ve been having a very enjoyable weekend with my family on the Our Father’s Farm in southern Virginia. The Fuhrmann family has been so hospitable and I have so enjoyed helping out with farm chores, walking the property, teaching photography, and herding cattle!...
A New Field of Design
I’m taking a stab at designing in a field in which I’ve never designed before: mobile applications. Just have to keep moving forward with the times! The picture on the left is what the programmer sent me, showing the basic design elements needed for the login...
A New Approach to Fashion Photography
I couldn’t help but ask question after question when I met photographer Germaine Bellamy last week. This solid Christian man isn’t your typical portrait photographer: his family business, Patria Portrait, specializes in fashion and glamour portrait photography....
What I Learned in Prison
It’s hard to believe that an entire week has passed and the prison Journey to the Heart is over! It was an experience I will never forget. Seeing men convicted of crime facing heart issues, restructuring their belief system around Biblical principles, and even...
The Color of Kansas
Glow of Sunrise God answered our prayers for beautiful sunrises and sunsets every day of the CAPTURE Kansas workshop last week! In fact, the last sunrise of the workshop was far beyond what I expected. I scouted Lake Shawnee beforehand and wasn’t overly impressed....
A Photographer Who Fears the Lord
A photographer who fears the world changes with the whims of the trends. A photographer who fears the Lord, influences the trends by his principle. “And now, Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all his ways,...
Capturing Kansas
We are having a great time here at the CAPTURE Kansas workshop! We shot the sunrise at an abandoned home built in 1878 and spent some time at an old, abandoned barn close by learning all about metering modes and exposure compensation. During the afternoon, we...
A Rainy Day
Despite the fact that it rained most the day, I went out scouting anyway! I love the Kansas countryside. And I love it more with each passing day. I didn’t really think I would, being from West Virginia, but the wide open prairie of golden grass dotted with lonely...
Scouting Kansas
I traveled out to Topeka on Saturday and have been spending time with the Lindsay family preparing for CAPTURE Kansas! The Lindsay’s are a great family with 9 energetic kids and we had a great time playing together over the weekend. On Sunday we went out and...
The Wild West at It’s Best
Transport yourself back into the legendary cowboy days of Gene Autry or the desperadoes of How The West Was Won with these new desktop backgrounds from the popular filming spot known as the Alabama Hills! Retreating Light Download as Desktop Background Light...
Decorate with Canvas
Yup! It’s another canvas sale for all images on Lenspiration.com. I’m only selling them at the following prices until Friday, October 11th, so take advantage of this opportunity while there’s still time! Normally, purchasing a fine art canvas print from the...
A Place Called Alabama Hills
I didn’t have much time for planning out the next day. It was 10:00 at night and I was leaving bright and early the next morning for a week of vacation and scouting for future CAPTURE California workshops! Where should I stop tomorrow? I knew what route I would be...
How Not to Use a Polarizer
Not too long ago I posted about the benefits of using a circular polarizer filter. It is a great help for cut reflections in water and increase the color in lakes and sky. However, you can take the polarizer too far. On my way from Los Angeles to Sacramento, I took...
I Have Returned!
Feels good to be home again, back in good ol’ West Virginia! After spending over a month of crisscrossing the West Coast from Anchorage to Tijuana, there is so much to look back on to thank God for. Many goals were accomplished, relationships established, and...
Use Your Pictures in a Calendar!
Would you like to put your pictures to good use?! Want to have your best "wow" shot published? The Institute in Basic Life Principles is putting together a calendar for 2014 and they are looking for some awesome awesome landscape pictures to use. Here's what I...
Why CAPTURE Kansas?
CAPTURE Kansas - October 16-19, 2013 October's coming quickly! With CAPTURE North Carolina and CAPTURE Alaska behind us, CAPTURE Kansas is the final opportunity in 2013 to develop your photography skills from a Christian perspective through the Lenspiration...
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What are we up to?
Follow along with Lenspiration travels…
New blog post! There`s plenty of adventure for a landscape photographer in the State of Connecticut! Here are 10 of the best landscape photography locations in Connecticut. . . Read more at link in bio.
#lenspiration #homeschoolphotography #homeschool #christianphotographer #photographyeducator #photoinspiration #photography #photoblogger
Did you see the new, “Jesus, I Come” 2027 Calendar that launched last week?! It’s been encouraging to see pre-orders coming in already!
🎉Reminder: Anyone who pre-orders any quantity of Original or Personalized 2027 Calendars by August 31 will get 20% off the Lenspiration store* for the rest of 2026! 🎉
PRE-ORDER AT LINK IN BIO!
❓Did you know that you can take the Original calendar and get it personalized . . . for the exact same price?
Over the past several years, I’ve figured out how to incorporate custom elements on the calendar in an affordable way. And in small batches . . . like 25. You don’t have to order hundreds or thousands of calendars to get a bulk price! Churches, businesses, and ministries—small or large—can use them, sell them, or give them away to family, customers, or supporters without breaking the bank.
To keep processes streamlined and efficient, I’ve simplified the pricing structure this year so that there is no price difference between Personalized Calendars and the normal, Original Calendars.
So, if you or someone you know might be interested in personalizing calendars this year, now’s a great time to get the process going!
⏰ Place an order by August 31 and get 20% off the Lenspiration store for the rest of 2026! ⏰
*20% discount cannot be combined with other discounts or offers, and does not apply to purchases of Original, Personalized, or Artist’s Calendars, as well as Budget or Recommended Camera Kits.
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Family-friendly photography training
www.lenspiration.com
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#ChristianFineArt #ChristianArt #ChristianCalendar #ScriptureArt #BibleArt #ChristianHymns #HymnArt #FaithAndArt #ChristianPhotography #GodsCreation #LandscapePhotography #ChristianHome #FaithFilledHome #BehindTheArt #ArtistStudio #ArtProcess #ChristianInspiration #ScriptureInspired #MeaningfulGifts #ChristianGifts
It`s a choice to continue in sin. And it`s a choice to leave it. The way of escape is always open. "The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;" Isaiah 61:1
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Family-friendly photography training: www.lenspiration.com
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#verseoftheday #christianphotographer #faithandphotography #freedominchrist #exploretocreate
Which lane am I in? Headed toward the light, or fleeing from it? "For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God." John 3:20-21
I`ve driven through this pass scores of times, but I`ve only taken the time to photograph it once. I`m busy. I`ve got places to go. But because capturing beauty is important to me, I find ways to prioritize it. Same in my walk with the Lord. I am in such desperate need of God`s light in my life, I prioritize going to His word in the mornings.
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Wholesome photography training: www.lenspiration.com
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#walkinthelight #faithinfocus #christianphotography #sunsetlover #landscapephotography
🎉 Celebrate with us! 🎉
The new “Jesus, I Come” Lenspiration 2027 Calendar is here!
This year, I made some changes to the monthly design, giving it a fresh, clean look while retaining the aspects that everyone has come to know and love about the Lenspiration calendars—intricate cutouts, hymn lyrics, and Scriptures on each month.
Pre-orders start today, and calendars will begin shipping in October after they’ve been printed.
🎉 To celebrate the launch, we’re giving out a special gift for the next 10 days (until August 31). Anyone who pre-orders any quantity of Original or Personalized 2027 Calendars during this time will get 20% OFF the Lenspiration store* for the rest of 2026! 🎉
May the 2027 Calendar be a blessing to all who receive it, and a fresh reminder to come to Jesus each and every day throughout this coming year!
*20% discount cannot be combined with other discounts or offers, and does not apply to purchases of Original, Personalized or Artist’s Calendars, as well as Budget or Recommended Camera Kits.
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Family-friendly photography training
www.lenspiration.com
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#2027calendar #lenspiration #landscape_photography #JesusIcome #Scripturecalendar #Christiancalendar #inspirationalcalendar #christianphotographer #wvphotographer #uslandscapes
The following story is from a Lenspiration blog post which tells some of the behind-the-scenes stories from the photos I chose for the 2027 calendar (pre-orders for calendars begin on Friday, August 21!!).
But did any of the photos from that stop in western Virginia make it into the calendar?! Well. . .you’ll have to find out on Friday when the big reveal happens! 😉
"In May of 2025, we set out on a 4-day trek from Tennessee to Maine for the next event on our calendar, not knowing that the journey itself would offer some of the most memorable moments of the whole trip!
The first day’s drive was relatively short. On the way to spend the night with friends in Virginia, we savored the quiet drive surrounded by the beauty of the mountains. We indulged in a long lunch break at a picnic table tucked among trees with perfect temperatures and lighthearted birds flitting around us.
That evening, at our host’s lovely home in the Shenandoah Valley, we stepped out on the front porch to enjoy the spectacular view. There was no color in the sky, but that didn’t matter. Since photography is my work, I usually set it aside on Sundays to enjoy a day of rest.
However, as we sat and chatted in the peaceful beauty of the country surroundings, the sky started to get colorful and kept getting better and better. Finally, I looked at Julianna to see if this short interruption of our time together would be an acceptable exception, and her sweet smile was all the answer I needed! I jogged down to the van and snapped these photos before the perfect color faded away."
🎉SAVE THE DATE: Friday, August 21 - Calendar pre-orders open! 🎉
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Family-friendly photography training: www.lenspiration.com
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#lenspiration #lenspirationcalendar #2027calendar #fineartcalendar #landscapephotography #naturephotography #behindtheshot #behindthescene #wvphotographer
"Thus saith the LORD, keep ye judgment, and do justice: for my salvation is near to come, and my righteousness to be revealed." Isaiah 56:1
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Family-friendly photography training: www.lenspiration.com
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#californiawaterfalls #waterfallphotography #explorecalifornia #chasingwaterfalls #landscapephoto
Join me for some LIVE photo coaching on Tuesday, August 25! Register at link in bio.
At this very moment . . . the Lenspiration 2027 Calendar is being assembled. The theme has been chosen. The design has been tweaked. Each photo has been carefully edited, and hymns and Scripture verses selected.
On Friday, August 21, we`ll have a big reveal and pre-orders will begin!
So, mark your calendar and get ready for the all-new Lenspiration fine art 2027 Calendar!
#wvphotographer #landscapephotography #calendar #FineArt #landscapes #creationphotographer #savethedate #2027calendar #creation
2026 marks the beginning of my foray into art exhibiting! Started off with displaying some calendars at the annual @salemwvofficial Salem Community Arts Showcase on Saturday. Next will be the Salem Apple Butter Festival in October. Special thanks to the Cultural Foundation of Harrison County for making both events possible! My goal is to use the exhibits to create a wholesome, educational experience for art-lovers to expand their knowledge in photography, geography, and the ethics essential to success in any professional field.
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Family-friendly photography training: www.lenspiration.com
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#artexhibit #learnthroughart #salemwv #lenspiration #artwithpurpose
Super excited! Thank you FeedSpot for naming Lenspiration as #2 in the top 10 Best West Virginia Photography Blogs to Follow in 2026! Just after Wonderful West Virginia Magazine @wonderfulwestvirginia Read more at https://bloggers.feedspot.com/west_virginia_photography_bloggers Truly, there`s no other place I`d rather call home than wild, wonderful West Virginia
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#onlyinwestvirginia #photoblogger #wvblogger #top10
I learned what "flash flood" means, the other day. No problem driving into downtown Indianapolis when the rain started. But it rained so hard and so long, our efforts to leave were thwarted over and over again as we backed out of street after street trying to find a way back to the Interstate. Never seen so much water on the road before. Thankfully we were able to get to an entrance ramp that was on higher ground....and begin our long journey home through more storms, tornado warnings, and flooded construction sites. So grateful that God "rulest the raging sea: when the waves thereof arise, Thou stillest them"! (Psalm 89:9)
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Family-friendly photography training: www.lenspiration.com
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#flooding #travelphotography #travel #danger #flashflood
We almost left the overlook, when something happened.... We were on our way home from Connecticut, stopping in Virginia to meet up with @samuelchingphotography to photograph sunset at @greatfallsparkvanps. I chose the Maryland side of the river because the overlook faced west toward the sunset. However, we ran into two problems. First, the boardwalk offered no opportunity to descend down to the waters edge (offering instead severe penalties for leaving it). And second, it was not a pretty sunset. After spotting the landscape for a while, why stick around? Part of our group headed back to the car and I began packing up. And that`s when, out of nowhere, these long, pink, apparently altocumulus radiatus clouds appeared in the western sky in the perfect spot for landscape compositions! I can`t believe we almost missed it. I learned I need to be patient, even after the moment of sunset.
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Family-friendly photography training: www.lenspiration.com
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#greatfallspark #altocumulus #sunsetchasers #patiencepays #landscapephotography
For this month`s photo assignment, we`re doing something a little unusual: we`re learning how to take photos and add creative text overlay. With resources to help you through the process, this assignment takes your photography to the next level and helps you understand design concepts.
The goal is simple - to create "Verse Pics": taking any picture you’d like, with a verse relating to the scene designed on it.
Learn all about it at the link in bio!
On my way back from that morning hike at the top of South Mountain, the main thought in my head was to get back to the car so I could get home. Then I started thinking about why I wanted to get home. Well, one of the reasons was because I wanted to be back with Julianna and finally tell her good morning (because I had left so early that she was still asleep). That made me start thinking about how much she likes wildflowers and I thought "Hey, I should take some pictures of flowers to show her when I get back..." And that`s when I started noticing all the flowers by the side of the trail! --- Moral of the story: sometimes you don`t see things till you start looking for them. 😃 "Hear, ye deaf; and look, ye blind, that ye may see." Isaiah 42:18
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Family-friendly photography training: www.lenspiration.com
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#flowerphotography #phoneography #lookandsee #lovestory #scripture
I can`t believe I found a spot like this in Connecticut! I`ve know a great photo spot like this existed, but couldn`t figure out how to get there without a super long, exhausting hike. Finally figured it out thanks in part to @alltrails. I can DM hiking directions if interested. It`s still probably a 2mi hike.
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Family-friendly photography training: www.lenspiration.com
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#onlyinconnecticut #hikingadventures #bestphotospot #overlook #landscapephotography
Join me for some LIVE photo coaching on July 28 as we take a photographic tour across the world and explore "Picturesque Places"! Register at the link in bio.
I`ve had my eye on this location for years...and today I finally made the early morning hike out for golden hour. With the smoke coming down from Canada, would I get my chance for the photo I`ve been waiting for?!





