WOOHOOO so if you follow me on Instagram you most likely saw that I announced a giveaway for a free fall adventure session in celebration of Tamara Merri Photography moving back to New England. Our lucky winners were Jo and Keith - which was SO perfect because they were on their honeymoon in the White Mountains the week of the giveaway dates in October!!!
First things first: THANK YOU SO MUCH to our partner AW Bridal for providing this beautiful dress for the giveaway! Jo was absolutely ecstatic with how it fit - she said it was like it was made for her. It blew in the breeze so lovely and was incredibly flattering and well made.
Now on to the details of the day!! Jo and Keith are troopers - they woke up early to meet me for a 6:30 am sunrise hike at Artists Bluff together on their honeymoon. Not to mention it happened to be on the coldest day of the year so far! It was SO worth it though because the fall colors you could see from Artists Bluff surrounding Echo Lake and Cannon Mountain were stunning!!! Since it was a really foggy morning the lake looked even more blue, and the weather added a more ethereal vibe.
Artists Bluff is a pretty popular hike in the White Mountains of New Hampshire as it's a short hike that is not too difficult but has a gorgeous view. It's no question the reward exceeds the effort put in. There are two options for the hike, but we decided to go with the shortest and steepest route; Artists Bluff Trail. There's another hike that loops around but is several miles long.
Artists Bluff Trail is a 1.5 mile round trip hike that gets steep pretty fast with lots of rocks along the route. It's very well marked and a clear path which is great when you're hiking in the dark. The hike took less than a half hour to reach the "summit", if you can call it that. Because it's such a quick hike, it's totally possible to start an adventure elopement day with Artists Bluff and then continue on to hike Cannon Mountain (neighboring mountain) same day, or make your way to the kancamagus for some other peaks and views. There's literally no wrong turn in the White Mountains during fall. You're in for a treat as long as you're in New England!
We got to the top and had to share the area with some other photographers and influencers, which was expected. The "summit" isn't TOO large so it isn't really possible to claim your own land for photos without disrupting other hikers. There is one main view: the view of Cannon Mountain over Echo lake. It's a 180 degree view, as my back was to trees when taking these photos. While it's still a pretty view, other view points you'll see more roads and less elevation.
I have only AMAZING things to say about my adventure shoot with Tamara. I never thought hiking at 6am for a photo shoot would be my cup of tea, but man did Tamara deliver on breathtaking photos and we had so much fun doing it. She is excellent at giving direction, helping with posing, and made us feel super comfortable (even in 30 degree weather haha) I would 100% recommend her to anyone I know and they would not be disappointed.
I'm so pleased with how these photos turned out, and had so much fun with Jo and Keith! I'm so excited to capture more couple's story in a fun and adventurous way. If you'd be interested in adventuring to take photos, whether it's for a proposal, engagement session, elopement, day after session, or just because, please contact me!! Let's start planning your adventure!
xo,
Tam
Tamara Merri Photography
