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
Family Snow Session | Madison, WI
Catching snowflakes, building snow angels, and genuine belly laughs in Madison's winter landscapes, that's what these sessions are all about. The fresh snow creates the most magical soft light, and your family's colorful winter gear absolutely pops against that bright, neutral backdrop.
UW Arboretum Spring Session in Madison, WI | Twig & Olive
Spring arrives at the UW Arboretum in Madison with an explosion of lilacs, magnolias, and crabapple blossoms, and we've found over 35 distinct spots to capture your family among the blooms. Every path reveals something new, from flowering trees arching overhead to fields of wildflowers catching the afternoon light. Ready to see what peak bloom looks like through our lens?
Floral Newborn Session | Madison, Wisconsin
During this Madison newborn session, we surrounded a little one with hundreds of fresh peonies, recreating blooms from her mom's wedding day. The result is pure magic, and we're sharing how we brought this sentimental vision to life while keeping safety our top priority.
Family Mini Snow Sessions | Madison, Wisconsin
This winter, we're trading Wisconsin's unpredictable weather for a snow machine that creates instant magic. Watch your kids' faces light up as real snow falls around them, capturing genuine joy and wonder in every frame. It's a short, sweet experience designed entirely around fun.
California Family Photography Travel Blog | 2023 Trip
Escaping Wisconsin's brutal winter, we chased California sunshine across Joshua Tree, Big Sur, and a hidden wildflower hillside that felt straight out of a fairy tale. The diversity of these landscapes, from desert rock formations to coastal succulents to rolling blooms, completely transformed how we see family portraiture.
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.