Beyond the Lens
Photography Tips, Stories & Education
Welcome to Beyond the Lens, where we share photography tips and education drawn from over a decade of real sessions, weddings, and studio work. This is where the practical side of what we do meets the stories behind it. Whether you’re a photographer looking to sharpen your craft or a client curious about what goes into the images we create, there’s something here for you.
Photography Tips Worth Reading
We write about what we actually do. That means lighting breakdowns from real sessions, posing techniques we use with families and couples, honest takes on gear, editing workflows, and the business side of running a photography studio. Some of these posts are technical. Others are stories from behind the camera. All of them come from our own experience, not theory.
Here’s what you’ll find across the blog:
- Lighting and composition from real shoots
- Posing and directing for natural portraits
- Location scouting across Wisconsin and beyond
- Editing and workflow tips
- Business, pricing, and client experience
- Behind-the-scenes stories from sessions and weddings
Want to go deeper? One conference we speak at every year is ShutterFest in St. Louis, MO. It’s one of the best hands-on photography conferences in the country, with live shoots, real education, and a community that takes the craft seriously.
We’re also proud to speak at the 2026 Professional Photography Business Network (PPBN) Conference, featuring an Australian community built around helping photographers grow their businesses through accountability, training, and real support from people who’ve been in the trenches.
Our Latest Posts
Wildwood Barn and Cottage: A Photographer’s Guide
Our photography guide to Wildwood Barn and Cottage in Waterloo, Wisconsin. Explore the bridal cottage, main barn, reception tent, wooded trails, and everything that makes this 35-acre venue a dream for your wedding.
SEO Mistakes Photographers Make: 9 Fixes That Work
We recently audited our entire website and discovered nine SEO mistakes we'd been making for years, from burying our focus keyphrases to filling H1 tags with our brand name instead of what people actually search for. These fixes might feel small, but they're already shifting our visibility, and we're breaking down exactly what we changed and why it matters heading into 2026.
Best Elegant Wedding Venues in Wisconsin | Twig & Olive
Across 20+ years photographing Wisconsin weddings, we've found that the state's most elegant venues share something surprising: they're not trying too hard. From a 90-acre lakefront resort to a restored 1880s brewery, these 21 hand-picked spaces deliver genuine character alongside the pretty rooms. Wondering which one fits your vision?
Best Industrial Wedding Venues in Wisconsin | Twig & Olive
Restored warehouses and converted mills across Wisconsin offer some truly striking backdrops for celebrations. We've photographed weddings at 13 of the 15 venues in this guide, and what keeps surprising us is how each century-old brick wall and steel beam tells a completely different story. Here's where to find them.
Client Closet & Wardrobe | Twig & Olive Photography
Explore the Twig & Olive Client Closet, a curated collection of dresses for women, teens, and little ones, all available for your portrait session. Browse styles, learn how it works, and reserve the perfect look for your shoot.
Family Photography with Pets | Tips for Perfect Portraits
Your furry friend deserves a spot in the family portrait. We've photographed everyone from golden retrievers to miniature donkeys, and the magic happens when we treat your pet like any other subject. Discover our best tips for a smooth session that captures the real bond between you and your favorite animal.
Looking for Our Session and Wedding Stories?
Stories from Real Weddings & Sessions
Beyond the Lens is our photography tips and education hub. But if you’re here to see our actual work, that’s a different collection. Our session and wedding blog features hundreds of real stories from locations across Wisconsin and beyond. Browse by category, explore specific venues, or just scroll through and see what catches your eye. Every post is a real couple, a real family, a real moment.
FAQs About Beyond the Lens
What topics does the Beyond the Lens blog cover?
We cover a wide range of photography tips and education, including lighting, posing, location scouting, editing workflows, gear, business strategy, pricing, and behind-the-scenes stories from real sessions and weddings. Everything comes from our own experience at Twig & Olive Photography.
Who writes the photography education content on this blog?
All of our content is written by the Twig & Olive team based in Madison, Wisconsin. We draw from over a decade of shooting sessions and weddings across the state and around the country. We also speak at photography conferences such as ShutterFest on many of the same topics.