Brittany and Chris are good friends of ours, and we were so thrilled when they got engaged last year. This wasn’t just because they are an awesome couple, but also because their epic engagement session took Roberto all over scenic southern New Hampshire, with a special pit stop at the Nashua Airport where Chris is a Air Traffic Control Specialist. It was a great day, and Brittany and Chris’ sweet relationship made them naturals in front of the camera. Toss in a few antique cars, a greenhouse, some amazing New Hampshire landscapes, and even a few airplanes, and you’ve got a session made in engagement photography heaven.
BEDFORD VILLAGE INN WEDDING PHOTOS NH | BRITTANY AND CHRIS
BEDFORD VILLAGE INN WEDDING PHOTOS NH | BRITTANY AND CHRIS
When the day finally came, we headed over to Brittany and Chris’ home to get some photos of the couple and some friends and family getting ready. Brittany’s cute niece and nephew provided entertainment (and a few props) while the bride’s wedding party cheerfully tucked into coffee and muffins from a local bakery.
BEDFORD VILLAGE INN WEDDING PHOTOS NH | BRITTANY AND CHRISBEDFORD VILLAGE INN WEDDING PHOTOS NH | BRITTANY AND CHRISBEDFORD VILLAGE INN WEDDING PHOTOS NH | BRITTANY AND CHRISBEDFORD VILLAGE INN WEDDING PHOTOS NH | BRITTANY AND CHRIS
Once Chris headed out to the Bedford Village Inn to start greeting their guests, it was time for Brittany to get in her dress. She looked stunning, Roberto found a good bit of natural light and there was little else to do to get some gorgeous portraits of Brittany before we left for the Inn.
BEDFORD VILLAGE INN WEDDING PHOTOS NH | BRITTANY AND CHRIS
To be continued… Check back soon for the thrilling conclusion to Brittany and Chris’ wedding day!
This may be one of the most varied engagement sessions I have shot, and man was it fun! If you like, old cars, balloons, countryside, old barns, chickens or airplanes then you may like what is coming next! Brittany and Chris’s New England engagement session was photographed in New Hampshire at the beginning of this month, just after hurricane Sandy postponed us a few days.
NEW ENGLAND ENGAGEMENT PHOTOGRAPHY | BRITTANY & CHRIS
We started off photographing Brittany and Chris’ New England engagement session at Brittany’s sisters house. Brittany’s brother in law, Dana, is a mechanic and restores old classic cars as well, and so we were able to use some of these in the shoot. The classic old yellow Chevy still ran perfectly and after shooting with it around the house, Dana kindly drove it up to another location so that we could carry on shooting and add a little more variety into the shots. The old car fit perfectly into their New England engagement photos and it was really good fun working it into the session.
NEW ENGLAND ENGAGEMENT PHOTOGRAPHY | BRITTANY & CHRIS
After moving the car up into the hills, I wanted to show the New England scenery and place Brittany, Chris and the old Chevy all into it so it would fit nicely together. I also wanted to give them a good mix of black and white and color photos from their engagement session. The old car really lent itself to black and white, but I think with its yellow color, it would have been a shame not to have shown this off as well.
NEW ENGLAND ENGAGEMENT PHOTOGRAPHY | BRITTANY & CHRIS
It was an overcast day with the odd burst of sun and more common threat of rain, but it held off for most of the day. The light was actually really nice to work with and it turned out to be a classic New England day of weather, constantly changing every five minutes or so. This was the first time I had ventured up to New Hampshire for an engagement session and after having shot a lot of engagement photos in and around Boston, this was a nice mix to be able to add to the blog. I hope to shoot lots more New England engagement sessions in different parts of the region next year and this shoot definitely got me itching for more.
NEW ENGLAND ENGAGEMENT PHOTOGRAPHY | BRITTANY & CHRIS
Having finished up shooting with the yellow Chevy in the hills, we headed back to the house for a change of clothes and a different feel to the shoot. We still wanted to capture that classic New England feel and I think working the red barns into the shoot definitely did that.
NEW ENGLAND ENGAGEMENT PHOTOGRAPHY | BRITTANY & CHRIS
Brittany had picked up some balloons from her mum’s shop earlier that day and this gave us the chance to have an injection of color into their engagement session as well. We had had a little drop of rain and that helped punch the colors in the surrounding New England countryside, but the balloons gave it that little something extra and were a fun addition to the engagement pictures.
NEW ENGLAND ENGAGEMENT PHOTOGRAPHY | BRITTANY & CHRIS
If you thought we were done, think again. Don’t forget we still have planes to come! Brittany’s family live close to each other in this part of New England. She has an aunt and uncle just down the road, and that was our next port of call. They live in a wonderfully picturesque part of New Hampshire with stone walls surrounding their property, a pond and old barns and with a little bit of color left in the trees, this was all I needed for the next part of their engagement shoot.
NEW ENGLAND ENGAGEMENT PHOTOGRAPHY | BRITTANY & CHRIS
We weren’t quite finished with the cars yet either. Dana had another old Chevy sitting in the drive and I wanted to incorporate that into their engagement shots as well. It was parked in a spot where the light was really nice and it created a great foreground for a series of shots for Brittany and Chris. Just at the back of the house was a wood pile that caught our attention as well. The pile of chopped wood made for a really interesting backdrop for a couple of shots and we couldn’t go without at least grabbing a couple.
NEW ENGLAND ENGAGEMENT PHOTOGRAPHY | BRITTANY & CHRIS
On our way back to Brittany and Chris’ house, we stopped by the nursery that Brittany’s family own and took the chance to add a few more shots in a place that had been in the family for a few generations. This was a great little spot to add some extra photos to their New England engagement shoot.
NEW ENGLAND ENGAGEMENT PHOTOGRAPHY | BRITTANY & CHRIS
I promised you planes, and planes you shall have! Chris works for the Federal Aviation Administration in Nashua, NH and is a qualified pilot, so we were allowed access to the runway for a few photos. This was the plane that Chris has actually flown before so it was great to be able to incorporate it into some of the shots as well. It was a super fun way to finish off the shoot and it was a first for me again. It was really good fun being able to add these plane shots into their engagement session and I think you’ll agree that they both looked the part!
NEW ENGLAND ENGAGEMENT PHOTOGRAPHY | BRITTANY & CHRIS
I was contacted just before Christmas by Michelle with an inquiry to shoot some family portraits of her and her siblings as a present for her parents wedding anniversary, which was on Valentines Day. They were based up in southern New Hampshire, and when they called I had the perfect place to get them some family shots.
FAMILY PHOTOS AT BENSON'S PARK HUDSON NH
A little while back, my wife and I were told about the rejuvenation of Benson’s Animal Farm, and all the changes that had been made in the last couple of years. I unfortunately never knew it in its original glory, but my wife can remember going there as a child and often remembered seeing the elephants and the giraffes from the road, on the way driving into school.
FAMILY PHOTOS AT BENSON'S PARK HUDSON NH
They have recently revamped this place, and it is now a true gem of a place for families and anyone wanting to take a walk or even enjoy a spot of fishing in the pond. Benson’s Animal Park has been transformed, thanks to the hard work and efforts of the local community, who got together and made this place a really great asset to Hudson and New Hampshire once more. If you haven’t already, I would definitely encourage a trip to Benson’s as well as “liking” their Facebook page here.
FAMILY PHOTOS AT BENSON'S PARK HUDSON, NH
Benson’s now has wonderful cared for gardens and landscapes, as well as a touch of more natural habitat as well. This has made Benson’s a great location to have family photos taken, and I hope that in the spring and summer, I’ll get to work with a lot more families to capture their New England family photos here.
From the wonderful variety of plants, the perfect backdrop of the pond and trees around it, and the great old buildings at the top of the hill, you are really spoilt for choice when it comes to locations for photographing families. The open spaces and brand new playgrounds make it great for little ones as well to have a run around in.
FAMILY PHOTOS AT BENSON'S PARK HUDSON NH
For Michelle and her brother and sister, we wanted to get some great photos of them all together, as well as some individual shots. They were awesome to shoot with and it was a great idea for an anniversary present to their parents. While it would have been nice to have had a little snow on the scene to make for a more seasonal feel, Benson’s Animal Park is such a great location to photograph that it didn’t really matter. That, and the fact that these guys were such a pleasure to work with.
FAMILY PHOTOS AT BENSON'S PARK, HUDSON NH
If you would like to have your family photos at Benson’s Animal Park with me, then please don’t hesitate to get in touch by visiting the contact page and dropping me an e-mail or just calling me on the phone. While I am a Boston based wedding photographer, I’ll always make the time to get up to Hudson, NH for family photos or even senior portraits in New Hampshire.
In fact, Benson’s would make the best location in Hudson, in my opinion, for engagement photos. In my last post, I listed some locations in Boston that I would love to shoot wedding or engagement sessions at, but in New Hampshire, Benson’s would definitely be at the top of my list.
Looking forward to shooting more with families and couples in 2012 and beyond.
