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!
One and a Half Years Later
One and a half years ago, in April, 2023, a group of photographers gathered for two photography workshops in western Indiana. After the workshop, I edited the team photos, picked out some of my favorite photos, edited them, and sent them off to the students. And...
On Assignment: Inspiring Manhood
At first, when I read the details for this assignment, I have to admit I was a bit overwhelmed. How to capture “honesty”, “integrity”....”manhood”? But when I actually went out to photograph it, I found that although there were some challenges to work through, it...
The Reasoning Behind the 12 Intricate Cutouts
After carefully going over the results of the survey I sent out the other week, I have chosen the 12 photographs and overall theme for the Lenspiration 2025 Calendar! But choosing the 12 main images is only the beginning of the calendar creation process...
Revealing the Best (and Worst) Photos from the 2025 Calendar Survey!
The results are in! You took the time to provide your input on the 50 photos I was considering for the Lenspiration 2025 Calendar, and now it’s time to look at the results! One fun fact is that there were considerably more participants this year than last year. 36%...
Why I’m Looking for Your Input
One of my favorite tasks in the year is to gather new photos for the next Lenspiration calendar! But it might come as a surprise to you from which corner of my collection of photos those new candidates come from! This year I’m putting together Lenspiration’s 2025...
7 Steps to Choosing Calendar-Worthy Photographs
How often do you feel like all of your photos from the year are organized and edited by the time you reach the end of the year? If you’re like me, it’s practically never. I love taking photos! But when it comes to processing them? It takes time and discipline to do...
How Important is Location Scouting?
In the past, I’ve had mixed feelings about the benefits of scouting out a location before a portrait shoot. So many times I have put effort into checking out a location, thinking through the angles of light at a specific time of day, noting shadows, and jotting...
A Precarious Adventure In the Gorge
In my last blog post, I talked about our early morning excursion to Overlook #6 and the surprises that that morning had brought to us. Well, there were more surprises in store for us that day . . . and one precarious experience that was unlike any other in my...
An Underwhelming Sunrise
For a week, I had been wondering what the sunrise was going to be like on Saturday morning of that weekend! I had everything planned out perfectly. We would leave the house at 4:45am, meet up with several other photographers outside the park at 5:40am, hike in the...
Tips for Photographing an Event
The last homeschool convention we traveled to this year was in Atlanta. I’ve been going to the Southeast Homeschool Expo for about 4 years now, and have spoken on the topic of photography there every time. However, this year was a little different. I was asked...
On Assignment: . . .you’ll never guess!
For a while now, there’s been a particular object/concept that I’ve been wanting to photograph for a Shoot to Serve Photo Assignment. I’ve talked with many publishers who describe the type of photo they need . . . audio book, Christmas, fatherhood, balloons, etc....
Outward Beauty Isn’t Enough
In my last blog post, I talked about covered bridges. As nostalgic, iconic subjects worthy to be included in the Scouting Guide, they were just the perfect thing to blog about in light of the current assignment. So, when it came time to think about what to blog...
A North American Icon
In May, a wedding shoot took me to Pennsylvania. The couple I would be photographing wanted rustic charm in their wedding photos and, besides a weathered barn, what is more iconic and charming than an old covered bridge?! The particular covered bridge at which they...
On Assignment: Picturesque Places
Where is the most beautiful place you have ever been? Did you snap a high-quality photo or two while you were there? If so, you may already have some prime material for this photo assignment! Or perhaps there’s a picturesque spot nearby you’ve always wanted to...
Take Better Photos at the Zoo!
If you’ve been following the blog, you would know that I went to the zoo for the Fatherhood assignment awhile back. It was a great place to photograph that assignment! But how could I be at a zoo and take only pictures of people doing things? I wanted to make sure...
Experimenting With Lightroom’s New Denoise Feature
I totally didn’t feel like getting up that drizzly, spring morning in Texas. We had just come off a 5 day Photography Team at the Family Conference and I was very tired after having gone to bed after midnight almost every night for a week. But this was the one and...
Inspired in Richmond
I grew up as a homeschooler in Manassas, Virginia. It was in the 1990s, and I didn’t think twice about it. I would hear Dad talk about speaking on homeschool-related topics at City Council meetings. And there was a time or two that Dad went to Richmond. I think....
On Assignment: Listening to an Audiobook
Have you ever tried to portray, in a photograph, the idea of someone listening to something? I never had! So that made this assignment a unique one for me. To begin with, I had one idea for how to photograph someone “listening to an audiobook”, so I started with...
The April 8, 2024, Total Solar Eclipse
A solar eclipse is almost a once in a lifetime experience. Maybe more like a once-in-every-ten-or-twenty-or-thirty-years experience, but because they don’t happen every day, it is certainly a unique photography opportunity! The first time I ever tried photographing...
The Ugly Spot
It was dawn when I woke up.The early April air was crisp and cold as I climbed out of the Outback at our primitive campsite in central Arkansas. The air was filled with bird calls and sounds of the swamp. There wasn’t a single ripple on the inky black water that...
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It`s a choice to continue in sin. And it`s a choice to leave it. The way of escape is always open. "The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;" Isaiah 61:1
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Family-friendly photography training: www.lenspiration.com
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#verseoftheday #christianphotographer #faithandphotography #freedominchrist #exploretocreate
Which lane am I in? Headed toward the light, or fleeing from it? "For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God." John 3:20-21
I`ve driven through this pass scores of times, but I`ve only taken the time to photograph it once. I`m busy. I`ve got places to go. But because capturing beauty is important to me, I find ways to prioritize it. Same in my walk with the Lord. I am in such desperate need of God`s light in my life, I prioritize going to His word in the mornings.
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Wholesome photography training: www.lenspiration.com
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#walkinthelight #faithinfocus #christianphotography #sunsetlover #landscapephotography
🎉 Celebrate with us! 🎉
The new “Jesus, I Come” Lenspiration 2027 Calendar is here!
This year, I made some changes to the monthly design, giving it a fresh, clean look while retaining the aspects that everyone has come to know and love about the Lenspiration calendars—intricate cutouts, hymn lyrics, and Scriptures on each month.
Pre-orders start today, and calendars will begin shipping in October after they’ve been printed.
🎉 To celebrate the launch, we’re giving out a special gift for the next 10 days (until August 31). Anyone who pre-orders any quantity of Original or Personalized 2027 Calendars during this time will get 20% OFF the Lenspiration store* for the rest of 2026! 🎉
May the 2027 Calendar be a blessing to all who receive it, and a fresh reminder to come to Jesus each and every day throughout this coming year!
*20% discount cannot be combined with other discounts or offers, and does not apply to purchases of Original, Personalized or Artist’s Calendars, as well as Budget or Recommended Camera Kits.
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Family-friendly photography training
www.lenspiration.com
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#2027calendar #lenspiration #landscape_photography #JesusIcome #Scripturecalendar #Christiancalendar #inspirationalcalendar #christianphotographer #wvphotographer #uslandscapes
The following story is from a Lenspiration blog post which tells some of the behind-the-scenes stories from the photos I chose for the 2027 calendar (pre-orders for calendars begin on Friday, August 21!!).
But did any of the photos from that stop in western Virginia make it into the calendar?! Well. . .you’ll have to find out on Friday when the big reveal happens! 😉
"In May of 2025, we set out on a 4-day trek from Tennessee to Maine for the next event on our calendar, not knowing that the journey itself would offer some of the most memorable moments of the whole trip!
The first day’s drive was relatively short. On the way to spend the night with friends in Virginia, we savored the quiet drive surrounded by the beauty of the mountains. We indulged in a long lunch break at a picnic table tucked among trees with perfect temperatures and lighthearted birds flitting around us.
That evening, at our host’s lovely home in the Shenandoah Valley, we stepped out on the front porch to enjoy the spectacular view. There was no color in the sky, but that didn’t matter. Since photography is my work, I usually set it aside on Sundays to enjoy a day of rest.
However, as we sat and chatted in the peaceful beauty of the country surroundings, the sky started to get colorful and kept getting better and better. Finally, I looked at Julianna to see if this short interruption of our time together would be an acceptable exception, and her sweet smile was all the answer I needed! I jogged down to the van and snapped these photos before the perfect color faded away."
🎉SAVE THE DATE: Friday, August 21 - Calendar pre-orders open! 🎉
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Family-friendly photography training: www.lenspiration.com
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#lenspiration #lenspirationcalendar #2027calendar #fineartcalendar #landscapephotography #naturephotography #behindtheshot #behindthescene #wvphotographer
"Thus saith the LORD, keep ye judgment, and do justice: for my salvation is near to come, and my righteousness to be revealed." Isaiah 56:1
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Family-friendly photography training: www.lenspiration.com
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#californiawaterfalls #waterfallphotography #explorecalifornia #chasingwaterfalls #landscapephoto
Join me for some LIVE photo coaching on Tuesday, August 25! Register at link in bio.
At this very moment . . . the Lenspiration 2027 Calendar is being assembled. The theme has been chosen. The design has been tweaked. Each photo has been carefully edited, and hymns and Scripture verses selected.
On Friday, August 21, we`ll have a big reveal and pre-orders will begin!
So, mark your calendar and get ready for the all-new Lenspiration fine art 2027 Calendar!
#wvphotographer #landscapephotography #calendar #FineArt #landscapes #creationphotographer #savethedate #2027calendar #creation
2026 marks the beginning of my foray into art exhibiting! Started off with displaying some calendars at the annual @salemwvofficial Salem Community Arts Showcase on Saturday. Next will be the Salem Apple Butter Festival in October. Special thanks to the Cultural Foundation of Harrison County for making both events possible! My goal is to use the exhibits to create a wholesome, educational experience for art-lovers to expand their knowledge in photography, geography, and the ethics essential to success in any professional field.
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Family-friendly photography training: www.lenspiration.com
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#artexhibit #learnthroughart #salemwv #lenspiration #artwithpurpose
Super excited! Thank you FeedSpot for naming Lenspiration as #2 in the top 10 Best West Virginia Photography Blogs to Follow in 2026! Just after Wonderful West Virginia Magazine @wonderfulwestvirginia Read more at https://bloggers.feedspot.com/west_virginia_photography_bloggers Truly, there`s no other place I`d rather call home than wild, wonderful West Virginia
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#onlyinwestvirginia #photoblogger #wvblogger #top10
I learned what "flash flood" means, the other day. No problem driving into downtown Indianapolis when the rain started. But it rained so hard and so long, our efforts to leave were thwarted over and over again as we backed out of street after street trying to find a way back to the Interstate. Never seen so much water on the road before. Thankfully we were able to get to an entrance ramp that was on higher ground....and begin our long journey home through more storms, tornado warnings, and flooded construction sites. So grateful that God "rulest the raging sea: when the waves thereof arise, Thou stillest them"! (Psalm 89:9)
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Family-friendly photography training: www.lenspiration.com
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#flooding #travelphotography #travel #danger #flashflood
We almost left the overlook, when something happened.... We were on our way home from Connecticut, stopping in Virginia to meet up with @samuelchingphotography to photograph sunset at @greatfallsparkvanps. I chose the Maryland side of the river because the overlook faced west toward the sunset. However, we ran into two problems. First, the boardwalk offered no opportunity to descend down to the waters edge (offering instead severe penalties for leaving it). And second, it was not a pretty sunset. After spotting the landscape for a while, why stick around? Part of our group headed back to the car and I began packing up. And that`s when, out of nowhere, these long, pink, apparently altocumulus radiatus clouds appeared in the western sky in the perfect spot for landscape compositions! I can`t believe we almost missed it. I learned I need to be patient, even after the moment of sunset.
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Family-friendly photography training: www.lenspiration.com
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#greatfallspark #altocumulus #sunsetchasers #patiencepays #landscapephotography
For this month`s photo assignment, we`re doing something a little unusual: we`re learning how to take photos and add creative text overlay. With resources to help you through the process, this assignment takes your photography to the next level and helps you understand design concepts.
The goal is simple - to create "Verse Pics": taking any picture you’d like, with a verse relating to the scene designed on it.
Learn all about it at the link in bio!
On my way back from that morning hike at the top of South Mountain, the main thought in my head was to get back to the car so I could get home. Then I started thinking about why I wanted to get home. Well, one of the reasons was because I wanted to be back with Julianna and finally tell her good morning (because I had left so early that she was still asleep). That made me start thinking about how much she likes wildflowers and I thought "Hey, I should take some pictures of flowers to show her when I get back..." And that`s when I started noticing all the flowers by the side of the trail! --- Moral of the story: sometimes you don`t see things till you start looking for them. 😃 "Hear, ye deaf; and look, ye blind, that ye may see." Isaiah 42:18
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Family-friendly photography training: www.lenspiration.com
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#flowerphotography #phoneography #lookandsee #lovestory #scripture
I can`t believe I found a spot like this in Connecticut! I`ve know a great photo spot like this existed, but couldn`t figure out how to get there without a super long, exhausting hike. Finally figured it out thanks in part to @alltrails. I can DM hiking directions if interested. It`s still probably a 2mi hike.
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Family-friendly photography training: www.lenspiration.com
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#onlyinconnecticut #hikingadventures #bestphotospot #overlook #landscapephotography
Join me for some LIVE photo coaching on July 28 as we take a photographic tour across the world and explore "Picturesque Places"! Register at the link in bio.
I`ve had my eye on this location for years...and today I finally made the early morning hike out for golden hour. With the smoke coming down from Canada, would I get my chance for the photo I`ve been waiting for?!
A quick sunrise shoot with amazing potential. Right place at the right time. Would the sun show up and make it a perfect morning?!
Join me in the minutes before sunrise as I discover what the results of my early morning hike would be!
