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!
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...
How to Make the Background Blurry
Background blur eliminates distractions, creates depth, and makes the person’s face stand alone from it’s surroundings. A combination of the four elements laid out in this post will get you good results every time!
More Than Snapshots
I felt like there were enough good shots from my quick stop in San Diego to use a few as wallpapers. I like to have a different wallpaper on my computer desktop every few weeks, and it certainly has been a few since posting any new ones. So, there’s plenty to...
How to Create an Ebook
Books are one of my favorite things to design! I just love watching the complexities of each paragraph, character, and object style work effectively together in unison as I add each new page . . . each new chapter! I recently put together an ebook called Launch...
Where to Go in San Diego
After my extended stay in Alaska, I stopped in San Diego to visit a friend before heading across the border into Tijuana to jump into an intense design work-schedule with MissionTalk. I didn’t have much time to be taking pictures in San Diego, so I just went out on...
Latest from Lenspiration Updates
Click here to view the latest Latest from Lenspiration update. I don’t have enough time to keep up with all the blogs I wish I could follow. However, I do love to get e-mail updates that notify me of what’s up so I can look into the stuff that interests me most....
Announcing CAPTURE Kansas
I’m excited to announce the third and final 2013 Lenspiration photography workshop: CAPTURE Kansas! Nevermind the obstacles—flat prairie, torrential rain, desolate drought, unceasing wind, forsaken flatness—it makes no difference to a landscape photographer! In...
Last Days in Alaska
Over the last few days in Alaska, there were a whole lot of places we scouted for next year’s CAPTURE Alaska workshop. Moving into September, the rainy season started to let up, but for the most part, Alaska continued to hide the essence of it’s glory in the...
How to Shoot on Rainy Days
The locals weren’t kidding when they said this time of year in Alaska was the rainy season. After the few days of sunshine last weekend, the clouds moved in and haven’t left. But that doesn’t mean I haven’t stopped seeking for “wow” pictures! A Break in the Clouds...
Home, Home in the Mountains
On our two-day excursion down to the Kenai Peninsula this weekend, I would have to say this was one of my favorite places we stopped to take pictures. If you are ever driving the scenic Seward Highway between Anchorage and Seward, make sure to stop and enjoy this...
Alaskan Culture
This is really odd. It’s practically 10:00pm and it’s still pretty light outside as I get ready for bed. It’s even more strange to think that at 12:00 midnight tonight there will still be vestiges of light on the horizon, as I noted was the case on the drive back...
Why I Use a Polarizer
We hiked along the banks of the beautiful and secluded Eklutna Lake, Alaska, today. From what I heard, the water level was very high and over it’s normal banks making it difficult to find an open area to shoot with anchor objects in the foreground. But after hiking...
Experiencing Hatcher Pass
Last night and this afternoon we explored the area around Hatcher Pass, a 45 minute uphill drive from Wasilla. What I loved about this place was the fact that we were close to the mountains, traversing the subalpine and alpine zones. I didn’t know exactly what that...
An Introduction to Alaska
Words can not describe how incredible the landscape is up here in Alaska! I’ve never seen such vastness and variety. In preparation for future CAPTURE workshops in Alaska, I’ve been traveling around with my exceedingly hospitable and educational tour guides, the...
No Need to Edit . . . Sometimes
After returning from CAPTURE North Carolina, I headed out with my family to attend the Virginia FEW Conference in Brandy Station, Virginia. There’s a ton I could say about our stay, but in summary I must say that it certainly was an encouraging weekend because the...
An Icon of West Virginia
Glade Creek Grist Mill, West Virginia My brother Jonathan and I stopped in at Babcock State Park, West Virgnia on our way back from the CAPTURE North Carolina workshop. Though I had driven past it by less than twenty minutes away dozens of times, I had never taken...
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What are we up to?
Follow along with Lenspiration travels…
Thank to @jonathan_vizaframephotography here is a sneak peek of the Art Show last week! More pics coming soon!
The activity folks are doing in these pictures is filling out a sheet of paper with their guesses as to which photos were taken in which states. 40 pictures taken from 40 different states were showcased and numbered in the gallery. The one who guessed the most correctly won a free pint of apple butter and a gift card to a local thrift shop! There was a lot of participation and it turned out to be one of the most interactive elements of the entire Apple Butter Festival!
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Family-friendly photography training: www.lenspiration.com
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#westvirginia #festival #applebutterfestival2026 #wvartist #wvphotographer
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
