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!
Back on Dry Land
It was only this morning that with bittersweet emotions I disembarked the Royal Caribbean cruise ship Monarch of the Seas that served as a means of leisurely conveyance from Port Canaveral, FL, to various locations in the Bahamas this week. Not only was it a...
The Beginning of Another Adventure
Dad and Mom dropped me off at the Pittsburgh airport earlier this afternoon, thus launching what I like to call my next “business/ministry/photography adventure!” Life is always an adventure, but it’s not so much where you go, as it is why you’re there that makes...
Do You Backup Your Pictures?
I used not to. But that changed after I learned my lesson! Back in the early months of 2010, I had a method of backing up my files on DVDs, but because it was such a long process, I would procrastinate for months and months until I slowly ditched the whole process...
100 Years Ago
At 2:20 this morning, on April 15th, exactly 100 years ago, the RMS Titanic slipped beneath the surface of the North Atlantic. With my brother being somewhat of a historian, I have been kept up to date with the timeline and many facts surrounding this tragic event....
Where to Go in Los Angeles
I’m not much for photographing jungles of concrete and metal in search for urban portraits and city landscapes, but when the opportunity arose to spend time with photographer friends near Los Angeles a few weeks ago, I figured it would be worth it to shoot for a...
Proclaim Truth
I didn’t have time to edit pictures today like I was hoping, but I did run across a quote that I thought would make a quick substitute. I read the quote in one of Living Waters’ weekly e-mail newsletters: my top inspiration for witnessing while I’m traveling. I...
Find a New Trail
If the trail’s the only thing around to take pictures of, than go find a new trail! This expression popped into my head as I knelt down in the dust to take the following picture. I had climbed to the top of a low mountain ridge in Crystal Cove State Park near...
And I’m Back
Praise the Lord for amazing visit with a family in Westminster, California! Thanks to their incredible hospitality, I was able to spend the last several days in exploring the California coast, touring downtown Los Angeles, and camping in Angeles National Forest....
Pic of the Month: March ‘12
The Fields are Ready This picture reminds me of much more than just a peaceful evening waiting for the sun to set over the Los Angeles skyline; more also than of the world-famous Griffith Observatory, home of the powerful Zeiss 12in Refracting Telescope, from which...
Sandpiper Pics
Had some fun shooting on the Pacific Coast yesterday! The late afternoon sun was perfect for shooting the daring little critters that inhabit the rocky beaches. This poor sandpiper, waiting so patiently for the waves to bring in some food for dinner, evidently...
What to Keep in Mind While Shooting Interiors
In my recent post All in a Weeks Work, I mentioned embarking on an interior photography project for a hotel in Chicago. The hotel is still in the beginning stages of being decorated, but images were immediately needed for the design of a website that will go live...
Gallery Update: Casa Hogar Orphanage
Casa Hogar Orphanage, Tijuana...
How to Take Good Pictures of Children
Four tips to keep in mind when photographing children.
8 Tips for Travel Photography
I will be the first to tell you that I’m about as far away as one can be from claiming an entitlement of expertise in the genre of travel photography. Yes, I take pictures while I travel, but that doesn’t make one a travel photographer. It is very seldom that my...
Find a Waterfall Near You
As I was browsing around the Internet looking for nice spots to take pictures at in the Los Angles area, I ran across this handy, interactive map called World of Waterfalls. Though it’s not exactly comprehensive, the map is certainly a very useful one for certain...
Should I Use a UV Filter?
As I was first getting into photography, I remember debating whether or not to purchase a UV filter for my lens. My online research revealed that there were two major opinions about them: never use them at all or always use them. What should I do? The reason not to...
All in a Weeks Work
Life has kept me hopping since returning from the DTP course in late February. It was a privilege to attend a character training course with In The Gap, taught by Chad and Alissa Christianson and my sister Esther, who worked with ITG for several years. Adam Waller...
Pic of the Month: February ‘12
You would think that with yesterday being Leap Day, I would have had my Pic of the Month for February all done and ready to be posted first thing this morning! But alas, it is all too true that regardless of how many hours are in a day or how many days are in a...
Redesigning?
There’s a key design concept that I learned at Desktop Publishing II last week. We learned a lot of cool, geeky deep things, but this one jewel of knowledge kept popping up over the course of the entire week. Without it, you can do all the re-designing you want but...
Expand your Creativity!
Greetings from Verity Institute’s Desktop Publishing II, Indianapolis, the first ever advanced class of it’s kind! We’re breaking through our current boundaries of creative knowledge and advancing into unexplored territory of design principles, sophisticated...
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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
