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: 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...
Pic of the Month: April ‘12
Burdened There was so much going on at the end of April that I totally forgot to post the Pic of the Month! So even though May is already half gone, I figured April’s Pic was better late then never. I don’t think I’ve ever seen it snow on April 23 before. By that...
Happy Mother’s Day!
I have found over the past few years, and more acutely in recent months, that the hardest part about traveling abroad is being away from my dear family. Especially Mom. Hence, it is such a delight when God brings little reminders long my way, such as this...
The Work of Art
The day spent in Nassau, Bahamas, was a full and fabulous one! The sunrise over the city was a phenomenal one, and I was grateful for good foreground subject matter. I was also able to use a tripod for the first time on the trip because we had docked during the...
First Day at Sea
Though the ship didn’t leave Port Canaveral until late in the afternoon on Monday, April 30, Josh & Alejandra Guido and I arrived not long after Noon; just like at an airport, there were security and boarding procedures to go through that took a long time. But...
Gallery Update: 2012 Southern California
Slight intermission! As I edit pictures from the Bahamas, enjoy the newly-published Lenspiration gallery of top choice pics from the Southern California excursion back in March. 2012 Southern...
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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
