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!
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Did you know that you can know when I publish a new post? It’s really quite simple: in the sidebar on the right under “E-mail Updates,” just subscribe with your e-mail address and you will be notified every time I update the blog. Now you’ll never have to worry...
A Picture Perfect Place
Just had to comment on a few shots from one of the photo excursions in Montana: Alone, Yet Not Alone Odd looking hay bail, eh? I could hardly believe there was a moose as far east as Bloomfield. The locals said it had been maybe 20 years since they’d seen a moose...
The Nearest Pull Off
After sighting the grizzly bear, we continued on into the Many Glacier section of Glacier National Park fully intending to make it to Swiftcurrent Lake for sunset. We never made it, but this pull off worked well enough! About the Picture: I am finding out more and...
Dealing With the Unexpected
I have been almost a full week in the remote parts of Montana and South Dakota without cell phone reception or Internet. But now that I’m back in civilization, let me share some of the incredible images from this incredible excursion! About the Picture: It’s not...
One Big Group
Thank you Kowalchuk family for your hospitality in letting us stay at your home.! We enjoyed every minute, meal, and memory! And thank you, Kerzdenn, for the 16-11mm lens for the picture....
The Badlands of Alberta
Today we toured the Canadian badlands of Drumheller, Alberta! Though we went to many places in the badlands today, the hoodoos were by far the most spectacular things we saw! About the picture: Despite the fact that it was in the middle of the day when we visited...
Pic of the Month: September ‘12
Sentinel Pass For this month’s pic, I simply wanted to express my gratefulness to the Lord for the many photo ops He’s allowed me to take this month. From the hills of New Hampshire to the mountains of Alberta, Canada, I’ve been blessed with opportunities beyond...
Rainbow Morning
After wearing myself out at Banff yesterday, I felt like sleeping in this morning. In fact, I set no alarm and planned no morning photo shoot. Why get up early in a spot that’s simply a rural, home setting? However, my plans quickly changed when my brother shook me...
Morning in Banff National Park
What an incredible adventure it has been to spend the past three days in Banff National Park camping, taking pictures and touring with my family! About the picture: In the mornings, my brother Jonathan and I would get up before dawn and drive out to a potential...
North Dakota in Autumn
Today was a long day of driving from the southeastern edge of North Dakota right up through to the northwestern corner of the state and up into Saskatchewan, Canada. Wish I had more time to spend in this fascinating part of the country! About the picture: What...
On the Road to Chicago
Wow! It’s been a whirlwind of a week preparing for what has been amusingly dubbed as “The Rockies Road Trip”, a two week vacation and photography excursion to the Canadian Rockies in western Alberta, Canada. On Tuesday my family and I (hereafter described as “we”)...
Beware of . . . Belted Galloway
Before returning home from New England this morning, I headed out into the pastures before sunrise to get some last shots of the beautiful farm our family was staying at over the weekend. In this picture, the head honcho of the small herd of Belted Galloway, a...
New Hampshire Architecture
Today concluded the first ever New Hampshire FEW Conference! Having never been in this part of the country before, it was fun to observe and shoot the architecture in the area. Despite the fact that it was right at sunset when I took this picture of the building...
Bucolic Evening
With the forecast projected to be cloudy and rainy in New Hampshire this week, it was a pleasant surprise and a true blessing from the Lord to see a truly beautiful sunset this...
Apple Picking Time!
Today was incredibly fun and full of learning all about what it’s like to run an apple orchard! Dad’s Aunt and her family run Cardigan Mountain Orchard up here in New Hampshire, and our visit coincided with the beginning days of the harvest season. With over a...
Pic of the Month: August ‘12
Self-Conceited Goat I took less pictures in the month of August than I have for any other month in the past 2 years! That is, except for December 2011 when I took a whopping 3 less pictures than I did this August. All that to say that I didn’t have much to choose...
Lesson from the Hummingbird
I took this picture over the summer and think it’s a good illustration of a quote I heard even earlier this year by Tom Hill: “Contentment allows you to manage your resources while keeping resources from managing you.” The hummingbird is an excellent manager...
Witness While You Work
Over the weekend, I traveled with my family out to Allentown, PA, to attend my cousin Tim’s wedding. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a more fabulous location for a wedding! The intricacy and dignity of old buildings have always fascinated me, and the cathedral in...
What Pictures Should I Use?
Would you like to have an integral part in designing the 2013 Lenspiration calendar? From now until August 18th is your one and only opportunity! Just head over to this gallery of candidate photos to cast your vote and give your input for the pictures you think I...
Shooting in Indy II
Today marked the end of yet another amazing ATI Regional Conference! Does this picture look familiar? It is very similar to the group shot I took of the Indianapolis crowd last year, but this one is better, I think. I reviewed the steps of action that I learned...
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What are we up to?
Follow along with Lenspiration travels…
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
A snapshot that encapsulates the fun Mordecai had on a farm with friends the other weekend. 🤗 #farmlife #familyfun #funonthefarm #fruitoflabor #akidslife
God provided an amazing spot to do couple photos for a wedding in Indiana over the weekend! Every spot I had on my list to scout ahead of time fell through...but God stepped in. Will plan to give the whole story in a blog post some time. It was such a pretty stop I decided to relax by doing a bit of landscape photography there after the couple shoot was over. 😊
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Family-friendly photography training: www.lenspiration.com
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#relaxing #selfie #Godprovides #Godanswersprayers #landscapephotographer
