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!
Just Added: a New Category of Posts
Drum roll, please! Having critically thought about how each post on this blog is organized, I have determined it most advantageous to create a new category of posts which I now officially announce as, Impressive Places. My hope is that the creation of this new...
What to see at Okefenokee
Thought I’d share a few of my favorite shots from a scouting excursion at Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge in southern Georgia. What was there to see? I half expected to see the place loaded with alligators and pristine swamp landscape, but in February at the...
Pointers on Working Under Pressure
James shares pointers on how he pulled off shooting portraits at a wedding reception with a guest attendance over 400.
Pic of the Month: January ‘12
Remnants of A Bygone Era There’s something about this image that speaks of mysterious emptiness. Uninhabited dwellings, girded in wintery vesture, showcasing nothing more than the antiquated existence of a bygone era. Even the composition itself speaks of vacancy,...
How to Make a Cozy Cabin Part III
3. Adding falling snow All this step takes is a little understanding of the Brush Tool and it’s corresponding Brush Pallet. You can either download a free brush online or make your own (which I recommend, though it is slower). This is what my brush looked like when...
Tips for Winter Hiking
A few winters ago, my brother Jonathan and I did something we had never done before. With several inches of freshly fallen snow on the ground and predictions for more in the forecast, we jumped into the Envoy and headed out to Coopers Rock State Forest in the...
How to Make a Cozy Cabin Part II
2. Adding Light in the Windows There is always more than one way to do things in Photoshop, but this is the way that I happened to liven up the windows in this cabin. First, I made a new, yellow-colored Solid Color Adjustment Layer using something like #c5c46b....
How to Make a Cabin Cozy Part I
With much planning and little shooting over the past few weeks, I haven’t had much to post. So I guess I’ll post a little project I was working on just for fun the other day. I’m working on designing a calendar for a local heritage site called Fort New Salem. It’s...
Highlights from 2011
Wow! What a year. Though definitely not complete, this collection of 25 favorite images from 2011 tells the story of the whole year, from January to December. Looking forward to 2012! 1. Beachborough, Ontario, Canada 2. New River Gorge, West Virginia 3. Hinsdale,...
Pic of the Month: December ‘11
Home in the Hills Happy New Year! I took this picture a few days ago, knowing that I’d have to take down the Christmas lights soon. No snow came like I was hoping for, but I think pulling away from the house and up the hill a ways helped hide distractions that snow...
About the 2012 Calendar: December
The Essence of Christmas A freezing, snowy night + an old, rickety piano + an ancient, homely building = a cozy, fantastic picture! This is what went running through my head as I passed through the deserted Staff Center meeting room at the IBLP Headquarters in...
About the 2012 Calendar: November
Morning Light One could hardly have asked for a more marvelous Christmas morning! It was probably the earliest I had ever awoke for a Christmas Day, but what did that matter? On vacation with the family in Sanibel Florida in 2009, we were blessed to follow whatever...
About the 2012 Calendar: October
Autumn Wandering I haven’t spent much time in West Virginia during the fall season over the past few years. This year, I was in California. The three preceding years I was in Chicago. Thus, the last time I had the opportunity to shoot fall colors in West Virginia...
About the 2012 Calendar: September
First Morning Light It isn’t every morning that the sky is scattered with gold-lined clouds broken by colorful rays of warm sunlight. I was at the Northwoods Conference Center in the Ottawa National Forest for almost an entire week and this was the only sunrise of...
About the 2012 Calendar: August
Falls in the Forest Of all the pictures in the 2012 Calendar, this one is by far my favorite! I had been on the lookout for an image like this for years, and yet I didn’t even see it when I first stumbled upon it. It all started on May 22 of this year when I...
About the 2012 Calendar: July
Life in the Desert How long did it take for you to discover the little chipmunk in this picture? At first glance, it isn’t noticeable. And that’s a good thing. I love pictures that are are deeper than one look and include little things that pop out each time it is...
About the 2012 Calendar: June
Shadows of Approaching Evening I find it ironic that flat, farmland states such as Indiana and Illinois boast parks that feature long, deep canyons carved in the landscape. Whether at Turkey Run State Park in Indiana, Hocking Hills State Park in Ohio, or Starved...
About the 2012 Calendar: May
Looking Toward Heaven Just about every flower is beautiful to look at, and for this reason are extremely common subjects for photographs. Hence, to get a unique picture of a flower is not common, and not easy. That is what I was thinking when I pulled out the...
About the 2012 Calendar: April
A Restful Afternoon The afternoon was gloriously peaceful as I strolled along with my family down a country lane after a short hike to a quaint, yet picturesque little waterfall in the valley. We were visiting friends in Canada near Peterborough, Ontario. Down by...
About the 2012 Calendar: March
Butterfly Brilliance I remember clearly the peaceful, bright Sunday afternoon in Gageum-ri, South Korea where this picture was taken. It was not necessarily the taking of the picture that I remember so clearly as it was the location at which I took it. You see,...
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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











