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!
About the 2012 Calendar: February
Cold of Snow When West Virginia gets snow, it usually doesn’t stick around unless it’s January or February, the coldest part of the year in the Appalachians. And when it comes, it transforms the dull, brown landscape into an incredibly beautiful winter wonderland....
About the 2012 Calendar: January
Bridge Over the Ice January 21, 2011 was a bitter cold evening. As I recall, the temperature hovered around 10 degrees. It was fairly clear, the moon was full and a nice blanket of snow covered the ground, so I ventured directly from my office into the cold with...
Pic of the Month: November ‘11
Enjoying the Falls I’ve been so busy selling calendars and putting up Christmas lights over the last week that I didn’t have any time to post the Pic of the Month for November! It was a light month for photography anyway, catching up on business and things after my...
We reached $1000!
We did it! Thanks to many generous contributors, Lenspiration accomplished it’s End-of-the-Month Challenge fundraising goal of $1000 by midnight, November 30! Visit Purchase with a Purpose to read the facts and events of the...
End-of-the-Month Challenge!
Last updated: 11/30/2011, 11:00PM We reached $500! Read the exciting details on the Purchase with a Purpose page. And we have now reached $1000!! At 9:00PM, three hours before our deadline, we reached exactly $1002. Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who...
Order Before December 5!
Get your Customized 2012 Calendars before Christmas! Order before December 5, 2011 to insure that your customized calendars will be delivered to you in plenty of time before Christmas. [quickshop product="Package of 50 Customized Calendars ($4.25 each)"] [quickshop...
2011 Bible Bee Highlights
Between fulfilling volunteer responsibilities and attending various events at the National Bible Bee in Nashville, Tennessee, I was able to snap a few shots of the friendly, spirited, and emotionally thrilling mood of the occasion! In both shooting and editing, I...
Learning Truth
“By mercy and truth, iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the Lord men depart from evil.” –Proverbs 16:5 ‘Tis an exciting week! After memorizing hundreds of Scripture verses over the summer, the top 300 highest-scoring National Bible Bee contestants from across...
A Handy Tool: the ND Filter
This quaint little bridge, situated just off Rt. 7 in the lightly populated county of Litchfield, Connecticut, is probably the smallest covered bridge I have ever seen. Just tall enough to walk through, the miniature, almost romantic little structure is the gateway...
Where I was Last Week
After returning from my excursion to the West Coast on the 22nd, I had the opportunity of being on a Journey to the Heart team in the Northwoods of Michigan for a week. By that time of year, the autumn colors had almost fully faded that far north, but there were a...
Pic of the Month: October ’11
Ocean Mist I don’t normally go stepping into ankle deep water while wearing socks and hiking boots, but an unfortunate wave of circumstances called for it’s necessity a few weeks ago while photographing the last light on the shores of Battle Beach State Park, OR....
Tufa Towers of Mono Lake
Have you ever heard of tufa? I didn’t know much about them until today. Typically, when underwater springs rich in calcium mix with lakewater rich in carbonates, a chemical reaction occurs resulting in calcium carbonate, or limestone as we know it. Though tufa is...
Mammoth Lakes
It feels as though I have reached yet another panicle of this trip. The town of Mammoth Lakes, CA, just across the Sierra Mountains from Yosemite, is the gatewate to an incredible system of lakes and mountain ranges connecting several National Forests and Parks...
Malibu Lagoon
Sunday evening, my hosts for my stay in Los Angeles took me to a small beach in Malibu, California to watch the sun go down. It was a very relaxing, reflective time and I only took a few pictures. There wasn’t much to take pictures of anyway, but the bright green...
Off the Beaten Path
I’ve been repeatedly impressed at how incredible some un-highlighted, off-the-beaten-path places can be. Before heading to one of California’s famed Redwood parks yesterday morning, I decided it might be worth a try to stop by the coast in the early morning to...
The Incredible Redwood
It felt as though I had stepped back in time when drove into Jedediah Smith State Park this afternoon, one of several parks in northern California created to protect the rare habitat the redwood. I learned today that redwood trees are the tallest trees in the...
The Oregon Coast
I spent the morning at Shore Acres State Park, right close to Sunset Bay where I was last night. The incredible wave action along this portion of the coast was awesome to watch though it produced a lot of mist. This, coupled with the fact that it was mostly cloudy...
Pacific Splendor
So, today Josh and I drove from Portland to Coos Bay, OR, just in time to make it to Sunset Bay for, well, sunset! What an extraordinary place. Breathtaking only begins to describe the awe-inspiring vistas and the sound of massive waves breaking on the rocky shores...
Another Cloudy Day
After shooting waterfalls in Connecticut last week, I was looking forward to shooting majestic mountain peaks in Oregon this week. So what do you do if those mountain peaks are shrouded in clouds? Shoot more waterfalls! Today I took the opportunity to drive along...
Get each article as soon as it goes live!
"*" indicates required fields
Recommended Ebook
"*" indicates required fields
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.
--
Family-friendly photography training: www.lenspiration.com
--
#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.
--
Family-friendly photography training: www.lenspiration.com
--
#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!
--
#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
--
#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.
--
Family-friendly photography training: www.lenspiration.com
--
#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!
--
Become a photographer: www.lenspiration.com
--
#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. 😊
--
Family-friendly photography training: www.lenspiration.com
--
#relaxing #selfie #Godprovides #Godanswersprayers #landscapephotographer
