NH Mountaintop Winter Engagement Photos
I recently had the pleasure of meeting Kelsey & Connor on February 2nd (Groundhog Day!) for their engagement session. This session was unique and certainly a memorable one. After some deliberation we decided on a location - the summit of West Rattlesnake Mountain in Holderness, NH!
Traveling to Holderness from the NH Seacoast took me through some backroads that I had never traveled before. I love that feeling of driving a new stretch of road and taking it all in for the first time. The winding backroads led me through Sandwich, NH, the perfect town to stop and grab a sandwich for lunch! The Village Green Cafe And Marketplace is a quaint small town shop that made a tasty BLT and offered goods such as handmade winter hats.
With a full stomach I arrived at the trailhead and met Kelsey and Connor for our hike. A small parking lot led us to Old Bridle Path, a relatively short 1.7 mile out-and-back trail up West Rattlesnake Mountain that offers amazing panoramic views of the Squam Lakes region. Although the hike is on the shorter side, it is still a challenge on a winter day when the world is frozen (especially with a full camera bag, including light stands and all). Kelsey and Connor were prepared with ice spikes and I with snowshoes.
Upon reaching the summit we were greeted with beautiful views of the frozen Squam Lakes. The lakes were still covered in snow from a recent snowfall, and the dark pines that cover the islands stood out as a stark contrast to the pure white. The occasional snowmobile and bobhouse could be spotted far below as others enjoyed the sunny winter day.
Although the warmth of the sun was nice, the winter air was still cold and the sun was backlighting the scene. Kelsey and Connor toughed it out though and we got some great shots! With the sun backlighting, I didn’t want to overexpose and lose all of the beautiful details of the panoramic view, so I used some fill flash to light up their faces while maintaining a balance with the background.
We captured some cute shots of the two holding each other close while enjoying the view. They shared some kisses and some laughs, and even ventured out onto a separate ledge, making for some great dramatic shots with a mountainside as the backdrop. My favorite shot of the day was certainly the mountaintop dipping kiss, a perfect blend of bravery and trust. I especially love the appearance of Kelsey’s ice spikes in the photo!
As we descended we made a few stops along the trail for some more shots. These spots included a pine grove, a section of trail where the setting sun was shining through, and eventually back at the trailhead where we got shots featuring Kelsey’s ring.
I had a great time with Kelsey and Connor for this mountaintop engagement shoot. They are a very positive and energetic couple and I can’t wait to shoot their wedding in October!
