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!
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...
Pic of the Month: July ‘12
Welcome! Back in December of 2011, during a visit to Fort New Salem for an event at Christmastime, I happened to talk with someone on the Fort’s board of directors who expressed interest in possibly doing a customized calendar specifically for the Fort. Since that...
Keep It From Fogging Up
I thought it was going to be a typical, cloudless morning when it started getting light at around 5:30 yesterday. But at 6:15, I noticed a few clouds heading east and got that feeling that they were really going to shape up for a nice sunrise. They just looked like...
Honey Products Photography Shoot
After years of producing and selling honey on a small scale, my brother Michael is starting up a business to produce and sell honey on a much larger scale! Budding businesses like his are always in need of product images, so recently I’ve been taking some time to...
Pic of the Month: June ‘12
I can’t believe half a month passed before I realized I hadn’t posted a June Pic of the Month! Better late than never! Keep Searching I didn’t spend a whole lot of time doing landscape photography during my time in South Korea this spring. There are a number of...
Family Portrait
A few thoughts from a landscape photographer’s perspective on taking family portraits.
Happy Independence Day!
It certainly is nice to be back home in West Virginia again! As I stood yesterday in grateful remembrance of this country’s freedom, I stand today with the added gratefulness of having returned safely from two months in South Korea. Though it was quite rushed at...
A Closer Look
A hearty THANK YOU to each and every one of you who commented on my last post on The Power of Music cover! A final decision was reached just in the nick of time for it to be printed and bound before the West Virginia Family Encouragement Weekend next week where it...
Which Cover Do You Like?
One of the most enjoyable design projects that I’ve been working on recently has been the layout and design of the very first book that my Dad has ever written: The Power of Music. I have finally reached the last—and perhaps the hardest--step of this monumental and...
“Of” vs. “From”
Odd title, I know. But it’s the root of something I’ve been thinking about recently. Here in Gimpo-si, on the west side of Seoul, South Korea, it is certainly a blessing to be in the suburbs instead of dead center in the metropolis. It’s not in the middle of...
If You’re At the Ocean . . .
Could you please post some tips on taking pictures of oceans? --Anna 1. Consciously Keep Horizons Straight 2. Shoot When the Sky is Colorful Oceans really don’t change that much; but the sky does! If you are on the beach during the hours around sunrise and...
Pic of the Month: May ‘12
Broad Horizons Though I had the privilege of being in many picturesque places over the month of May, I chose this simple sea-scape because I needed to remind myself that every-once-in-a-while it is important to keep capturing beauty in even the simplest of...
Do You Fear What Others Think?
Clad in cargo pants, t-shirt and hiking boots--my camera pack securely strapped to my back, a tripod dangling from my waist--I was ready for whatever adventure lay before me! But I must say, I felt very much out of place standing there in line with the mob of...
Remembering Foreign Missionaries
Being in Korea on Memorial Day is a little different than being in the States. Though it is not a recognized holiday here, Donald and I took the opportunity to recognize with honor a special group of great men and women from the past during a recent fieldtrip to...
3 Steps to the Perfect Picture
In a recent post, The Work of Art, I talked about how difficult it is to create beautiful landscape images. More often than not, beauty is ascertained by much more than just our sense of sight, so it is often discouraging when we return to our homes, look over our...
Someone is Eating the Sun!
I have fond memories from childhood of reading and re-reading a delightful little children’s book called Someone is Eating the Sun, which in it’s own humorous way described the scientific marvel of a solar eclipse. Now as of this morning, some 15 years later, I can...
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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.
