BEST UPPER VALLEY

PHOTO LOCATIONS

If you are in search of the best locations for Upper Valley photo sessions across New Hampshire and Vermont, look no further! Locations are listed by town, with details about favorite features, the best time of the year and day to visit, along with images.

We don’t need anything extravagant or overly complex to make beautiful images together.

While finalizing details for your portrait session, one of the big decisions we make is where to hold it! There are many beautiful spots in the Upper Valley and throughout New Hampshire and Vermont. I encourage you to consider spots that are personal to you, or that you know well, such as your home or favorite place to go with your family and loved ones. Sometimes easy accessibility is important to prevent any difficulty getting to a location, as well as with young children, a backyard or the park down the street may be the easiest, lowest stress option for you.

What makes a great photo location?

The most important thing for me to consider when choosing a location is the lighting, which has a lot to do with the time of the day that we hold your session, the topography, and natural and structural features that are on the land. I consider how much open area there is with access to the sky, reflective surfaces such as gravel, pavement, water, light colored facades, and the density of surrounding foliage. All of these factors affect lighting and composition and determine the overall mood and look of your images. An open field or the dense woods provides a very different vibe and light scenario.

Locations produce the “look” of the images you see in my portfolio

You’ve likely hired me for my natural and light-inspired look. It’s not just my light hand in editing that gives me my style. Location has a lot to do with it! I seek out locations that are open, neutral, provide ample access to sunlight, have reflective surfaces for beautiful skin tones, and offer open shade or foliage for gentle diffused lighting. All of these aspects occur everywhere when you know what to look for. They include:

Most shrubbery and bushes
Most trees, but not a deep tree-line or forest
Fields with tall, golden grasses
White, light-colored, stone architecture and buildings
Light colored pavement and gravel, sand

Spots that produce moody images:

Dense forest with little access to the open sky
Inside barns, covered bridges, or buildings with small windows
Positioned right against trees and bushes
Positioned close to wood or dark-colored surfaces
Basically anywhere with low light!

Low-fuss Locations

The camera focus is always on the people I photograph. This means the location we choose does not need to be full of ornate features or overly complex. I am always so excited to go to places like The Fells Estate or Saint-Gaudens, because of the rich landscape, architecture, views, and flowers that are there, however, I’ve had gorgeous shoots in fields, backyards, and in urban settings that one may not have considered.

Locations by Feature

Covered Bridges – Packard Hill Covered Bridge (Lebanon), Quechee Covered Bridge, Meriden Covered Bridge, Middle Covered Bridge (Woodstock)

Boys playing at Outtauquechee River with Middle Covered Bridge in background, Woodstock, Vermont

family standing in front of covered bridge in Woodstock Vermont

Couple holding child up in front of Packard Hill covered bridge, Lebanon

Barns & Rustic – Top of The World/Langwood Farm

family at langwood farm, golden hour, posing for camera

family walking across field at Langwood Farm

couple with children walking behind barn at langwood farm

Farms & Orchards – Riverview Farm, Patch Orchards, Muster Field Farm (Sutton)

Little girl picking flowers in the grass, Riverview Farm apple blossoms, lebanon, nh

little redhead girl looking at apple blossoms at riverview farm in plainfield nh

baby girl in pink ruffled outfit, walking away holding parents hands

family smiling and sitting on stone wall

Family walking down dirt road at Muster Field Farm

little boy smiling with pumpkins - muster field farm

Child walking near gardens at Musterfield Farm

Kids playing in grass at Musterfield Farm

family walking through farmland at Musterfield Farm

Urban/Town – White River Junction, Woodstock, Dartmouth College Campus

dartmouth graduate, female, standing near sanborn library in Hanover, NH

Dartmouth Graduates during portrait session throwing caps

family walking along stone wall at Occom Pond

family walking along sidewalk on baker lawn

Woman standing on white wall in graduation cap in vermont

Portraits in front of lower shop in White River Junction VT

Shadows from staircase on woman's face, film shoot in White River Junction

Architecture & Gardens – Saint-Gaudens, The Fells, Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historic Park, Enfield Shaker Village, Dartmouth College Campus

couple standing and laughing amidst rhododendrons at the fells, newbury nh

Beautiful tree in front of Hay Estate at The Fells in Sunapee, NH

vintage looking black and white image of woman sitting on porch at saint-gaudens in cornish, nh

landscape portrait of architecture and fields at saint-gaudens

portrait of woman at saint-gaudens in cornish, nh with greek architecture

family walking down birch alley at Saint-Gaudens in Cornish, NH

Entrance to the estate at Marsh Billing Rockefeller

Woodsy – Mink Brook, Trails near Hanover Golf Course, Nathan’s Garden, Dewey’s Landing, and local trails & hikes

Views – Saint-Gaudens, Clark’s Lookout, Top of The World/Langwood Farm, Mt. Peg (Woodstock), Patch Orchards

Epic engagement session in New Hampshire, adventurous shoot with views of Lake Sunapee

family walking with lake sunapee in background at clarks lookout

baby sitting with parents in woods and snow

Water – Lake Sunapee, Clark’s Lookout, Dewey’s Landing, Lake Morey, Foley Park

Upper Valley New Hampshire Photo Locations

Cornish & Plainfield

Riverview Farm – Easy to access farm open from August through October. On occasion they allow photo sessions when the apple blossoms are in bloom. Here, there are many rows of apple trees, flowers, and pumpkins.
Top Of The World/Langwood Barn – A semi-private hiking and relaxation spot. I request permission before we visit. A beautiful restored barn sits on the property, long-range views, fields, and a country dirt road.
Saint-Gaudens National Historic Park – Home to a famous sculptor and once an artist colony. Saint-Gaudens has beautiful manicured grounds with flowers, a birch alley, and a sweeping view of Mount Ascutney. Gorgeous all year around.
Cornish Recreation and Education Center – A favorite spot in the fall. A field bordering a forest, with a pond, and views of a picturesque red barn.

Enfield

Enfield Shaker Village – The architecture is lovely, but faces the sun, so best to visit this spot at golden hour in the morning or evening. Across the street there is a little stream with a footbridge that is beautiful for portraits, as well as a field, pathway into the treeline, and stone architecture.
Rail Trail – This location combines well with Lakeside Park. In Enfield, there is a dramatic spot along the trail with granite ledges on either side. However, the depth of the trail during fall foliage season provides a lovely backdrop on its own. There are lake views along portions of the trail in Enfield.
Lakeside Park, Mascoma Lake – An easy-access spot with views of the lake, and nearby trails for filtered light and foliage. Golden hour is the best time of day to visit. When the lake freezes it fills up with fishing shanties.

Hanover

Foley Park – A manicured peninsula of land that is adjacent to Ledyard Bridge, on the Norwich side. Wonderful easy-access spot that is great to visit in the spring through fall, with flowering trees in mid-May, views of the river, and gorgeous foliage in fall. I’ve photographed two fall surprise proposals at this spot!
Nathan’s Garden – Private land off Allen Street that has been made public in honor of the owner’s who lost their son. It’s a hidden gem, a bit of a secret garden. Wonderful in the spring and summer when there is a lot of light. Best to come during daylight as shade abounds. Bug spray recommended.
Occom Pond & Golf Course – The grounds around Occom Pond are pretty in the late spring through fall. There are trails off from the golf course for lovely summer through winter photo sessions.
Mink Brook – If you are looking for a woodsy adventure along a beautiful brook, this may be the spot for you. I have a favorite spot with a clearing where the light streams in at golden hour. Images of children and parents playing near the water’s edge is a highlight here. In early May, the path via Brook Road is covered with ferns and phlox, and has a lush vibe.

Lake Sunapee Region

John Hay Estate at The Fells – If you want to be surrounded in gardens and enjoy historic architecture, this may be the option for you!
Clark’s Lookout – This is one of the easiest hikes around, about 5 minutes to the summit with a sweeping view of Lake Sunapee and the mountain. Lighting can be tricky in the evening, and I recommend coming a couple hours before sunset. I’ve been in all seasons. It’s prettiest in the spring after the trees have popped through late fall.
Lake Sunapee
Newbury Docks – The docks here are beautiful and afford a lovely view of the lake and passing boats at golden hour. I imagine it may get busy in the summertime.
Muster Field Farm – This is a new favorite location with ample space, a variety of terrain, from stone walls to fields, and some rustic buildings. A great spot for fall photos at golden hour, however the trees provide shade, so a daytime session may be possible here as well.

Lebanon

Rail Trail – Perfect for a simple portrait session, the rail trail offers lots of depth especially in the fall. There are a lot of fun spots along the rail trail, and if you are adventurous, we could ride our bikes and stop along the way for portraits.
Packard Hill Covered Bridge – I love this spot in the fall and winter. The evening light as it sets behind the bridge is lovely. A very easy access location for a New England vibe.
Patch Orchards, Riverview Farm, Poverty Lane Orchards – Perfect spots for families with in the late summer through fall. On occasion we can access for photos with the blossoms in the spring.

Lyme

Post Pond
Chaffee Wildlife Area

Upper Valley Vermont Photo Locations

Norwich

COMING SOON! Sadly, my favorite spot in Norwich is no longer accessible (without bikes and some hiking).

Fairlee

Lake Morey/Treasure Island

Quechee

Dewey’s Landing & Pond – Idyllic in the spring, and also lovely in the summer and fall. Dewey’s Pond features a slip of land with a tree-lined path and a pond on one side and the Ottauquechee River on the other. Best to come in the morning or golden hour.
Quechee Gorge (brief hike to bottom) – Though I’ve lived in the area for years, I didn’t start holding sessions here until just recently. Take a quick hike to the bottom of the gorge, and the rocks, river, and bridge high up in the distance make for a stunning backdrop. This could be a challenging spot with young children, as safety on the rocks may be a concern. The walk back up is steep, but short. It’s best to come in the summer when the river is low enough to expose the rocks. Fall is gorgeous as well, and expect many other visitors.

White River Junction

Town garden space and architecture – There are numerous interesting building facades, textures, and nooks in downtown White River Junction for an editorial shoot. Photos among the architectural characteristics can be paired with a few images in nature, at a local park.