Late Autumn Dog Portraits in a NH Vineyard

It’s that time of year. Autumn is wrapping up and we are here waiting patiently for that first peaceful snowfall.( I’m actually secretly wishing for a full on blizzard with 4 feet of snow!)

New Hampshire hits peak foliage earlier than I do here in northern Massachusetts. It was a strange fall and I feel like we never hit a “peak” season and the leaves just did their own thing this year. They changed color when the felt like it, and fell to the ground on their own terms (kind of like my husky haha!)

I am wrapping up fall sessions and had two this past week, both at the stunning Zorvino Vineyards in southern Sandown, NH. If you have been following me and my work over the years, you know that this is one of my favorite locations to photograph dogs early in the morning. It’s peaceful. Serene. Calming. Not many distractions. (except for the three alpacas they now have, but I they add a bit of fun to the mix when the dogs first notice their existence!)

Will it still be pretty without the leaves?

Should we wait for spring?

Will there be snow this winter?

Is it too ugly outside to do portraits?

These are some of the concerns of doing a portrait session “in between” seasons. Please try not to worry. I photograph dogs outdoors 12 months out of the year and I promise you that we will get beautiful images of your pooch (and you!) no matter what month it is.

Zorvino Vineyards

This is my “go to” location. I have photographed here through every season. There is a great variety of spots from the pond, to the barrels, to the water feature. I appreciate the owner permitting me to use their stunning grounds for photo sessions!

This past week I photographed 2 dog portrait sessions here which I will share with you. These are also two very different dogs when it comes to “appearance” – A jet black German Shepherd and a snow white Samoyed. I could not be happier with how the images turned out, and both of their moms are thrilled, too!

Golden Light

The first of these two sessions was with a German Shepherd named Josh. We met about 20 minutes or so after sunrise since it was going to be a bright and sunny day. There is one spot I like to photograph at before the sun hits strong.

We made our way around the vineyard soaking up the beautiful light! Josh and his gorgeous silky coat looked stunning with the warm tones.

I love the pond at the vineyard with the light shining through the trees:

Clouds and Snow

Wednesday of this week I photographed beautiful Feta (the name!) back at the vineyard. Her mom was flexible with a location and said “whatever you think is best, Darlene”.

The forecast was for cloudy all day. I can work with clouds! The wine barrels are at a weird angle and it’s a challenge in bright sun to capture a dog with the barrels.

We hit the wine barrels first and since it started to snow (woohoo!), we visited them before we finished up the session! The snow was magical and it was unexpected. There was not a flake in the forecast.

Feta was thrilled! Clearly she’s a snow loving dog being a Samoyed!

Here are two of Feta’s barrel portraits, before and during snow – she’s such a happy pup!

Remember the portrait of Josh above, in front of the pond with the watercolor looking background of colors? Here is Feta right around that same location. I just moved her to where the little pine tree was as it was perfect with the snow falling:

Time to Book!

Don’t wait. When the idea of a photography session with your dog first crosses your mind, book it today. It doesn’t matter what month of the year it is. I have this gorgeous vineyard as an option. We never have enough time with our pups. Time goes by too fast. If you are in MA, NH or Southern Maine, give me a call at 978-888-3547. I can’t wait to meet you and your dog!!!

To see what each season has to offer:

Hope to meet you and your dog soon!