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 Work in Progress
Well, I didn’t exactly get the back end of things off the ground before September 1, the day I wanted to officially announce Lenspiration’s 2012 Calendar. But at least something is up! Though the interface is not perfect yet, the calendar is ready to go, so feel...
Pic of the Month: August ‘11
I’m posting a day early to allow room for a special announcement for the first of September . . . Raptor in Flight It’s amazing what memory’s we attach to the pictures we take. Want to guess what this picture reminds me of? You probably will never guess. Believe it...
Capture Lightning!
Thank you everyone for your comments; I know how to capture lightning now! Seriously, because I do so much trial and error, and I don’t get to shoot storms very often, I really enjoyed reading your comments. In all actuality, you probably don’t want to take...
How Would You Take It?
The evening was warm and blustery, the gusts of wind bringing with them the suggestion of an approaching storm. Then feeble flashes of light could be seen on the distant horizon, easily perceived from my vantage point on the front porch of the Wilkes new home in...
Virginia FEW Conference
This weekend I’m in Culpeper attending the Virginia Family Encouragement Weekend, thanks to the warm and energetic leadership and hospitality of the Wilkesteam! I don’t have any pictures from this event yet, but here’s a favorite from the last FEW, in West...
Northwoods Tubing
When I get the chance (and when I’m not on the tube), I like to ride along in the motor boat to see if I can capture some of those split-second wonders of tubing. I’ve taken thousands of pictures of people tubing, yet the lure for a better shot is always too strong...
More than Smooth Water
I was going through pictures today and came across two practically identical waterfall pictures I took last month at Bond Falls State Park, Michigan. Notice how the second picture looks so much better than the first one. Both were taken on a tripod only 26 seconds...
God Provides
God provides in both small ways and big ways. At the Conference last week, I lost some small, yet relatively important items. The first thing I lost was the little eye piece that fits over the viewfinder of my camera. I guess this isn’t that important, but it sure...
Steps to Successful Photojournalism
I was asked to take pictures for the children's programs presentation slideshows at the Indianapolis ATI Conference again this year. Yippee! I was reminded again of the essential steps in shooting a successful photojournalism event: Get all the details from the one...
Be Doing and Daring
Photography is so much fun! It forces me to do things I would never otherwise want to do, takes me places I would otherwise never get to go, and introduces me to people I would otherwise never know. Last week, at the Indianapolis Conference was the perfect example...
Pic of the Month: July ‘11
Northwoods Sunset God truly blessed my time in the Northwoods of Michigan for the latest guys Journey to the Heart. Not only did I learn much about leadership, effective counseling and daily exhortation, but more importantly I was challenged in the areas of...
Over the Next Week
Just a heads-up: the Lord has worked it out for me to be a guide on a young men’s Journey to the Heart over the next week. Therefore, I will be unable to post anything here on Lenspiration.com until after the 1st of August. I’d appreciate your prayers for...
Feedback Wanted
Believe it or not, though we are scarcely halfway through 2011, I’ve been working feverishly on the 2012 Lenspiration calendar. I’ve reached a point now where I need some feedback. Even if you only have a few minutes, I would really appreciate your comments about...
Gallery Update: South Korea in Spring
South Korea in Spring Click on the above picture to view the new Lenspiration.com image...
Clingmans Dome, TN
One of the last places we stopped on the way back from Texas was the highest point in Tennessee, a mountaintop in the middle of Great Smokey Mountains National Park. At 6,643 feet above sea level, Clingmans Dome affords a 360 degree view up to 100 miles away on a...
Texas Shed
After Robert’s wedding, we stopped at a few places in Texas in the Dallas area. This old shed, now out of commission, was on a chicken farm that we toured. It was a drab picture originally, being taken in early afternoon. But I found a new Adjustment in Photoshop...
Taking Panos
Over the past month, while traveling through the Appalachian mountains, I have begun experimenting with taking true panoramic images. Not one image cropped to a 3:1 ratio, but a series of images side by side that, when stitched together, create a true high-res...
Pic of the Month: June ‘11
The thought process that went behind this picture of a bridal bouquet.
The Story of the Lens and the Speedlite
How God worked out the details of photography at this wedding even when things didn't go as planned.