Why I Love Beech Hill Preserve for Dog Photography in Rockport, Maine

Long before I became a pet photographer, I was already taking photos of my own dogs at Beech Hill Preserve.

We used to walk up there together as a family with our dog Sarge. Once we reached the top, Sarge would get the zoomies and run around the stone hut. He absolutely loved it up there, and seeing him so happy is still one of my favorite memories of Beech Hill.

Sarge having his zooms

I also loved taking photos of him along the stone walls. Back then I wasn't thinking about locations, backdrops or what would make a great pet photography session. I just knew the photos looked stunning and somehow never looked the same.

Years later, now that I am a pet photographer, I think that's still one of the things I love most about Beech Hill.

Sarge on one of the stone walls at Beech Hill.

A Place That Will Always Be Special to Me

Sarge had suddenly become very sick. We found out he had a large tumor in his heart, and a couple of days earlier it had started to bleed. We had already made the incredibly difficult decision to say goodbye to him the following day.

We wanted to take him to Beech Hill one more time, but he wasn't able to make the walk to the top. So we put him in a wagon and pulled him up the hill together.

We had walked up Beech Hill together so many times as a family, and we wanted Sarge to see his favorite place in Maine one last time.

It was the day before we had to say goodbye to him.

The next day, after Sarge was gone, we went back to Beech Hill without him. We went around the same time of day, just to be close to the place where he had loved to run around so many times.

I brought his collar with us and took this photo in front of the stone hut.

That memory is one of the reasons Beech Hill will probably always be more than just a beautiful photography location to me.

Why I Love Beech Hill for Pet Photography

From a photographer's point of view, Beech Hill gives me so much variety without making my clients walk for miles.

Once we get to the top, we have the stone hut and walls, blueberry fields, open spaces, rolling hills and beautiful views toward the coast. I can photograph in several directions and create completely different-looking images without having to go very far.

That is especially useful when I'm photographing pets and families.

Sometimes I want a wider photograph that really shows the Maine landscape. Other times we can use a stone wall for a simple portrait or get closer and make the photograph almost entirely about your pet.

And not every photo has to be posed. I give my clients some direction, but I also really like the candid photos that come from people interacting with their pets.

Fall colors around the Beech Nut at the end of October.

Zuko, visiting Maine from Connecticut and getting his Beech Hill portrait.

Beech Hill Never Looks Exactly the Same

I've photographed at Beech Hill during different seasons, and I don't think it ever looks exactly the same.

Winter can give us snow-covered fields and mountains in the distance. During the warmer months everything becomes green, and then fall changes the landscape all over again.

October might be one of my favorite times up there. The blueberry fields start turning red, fall colors appear all around you and the whole hill can look completely different depending on the weather.

And because we live in Maine, the weather doesn't always cooperate.

Sometimes fog or low clouds cover the hills or the ocean. Sometimes it's windy. Sometimes it's overcast.

I'm okay with that.

Willard

As long as it isn't down pouring, I will usually photograph. I actually had a family session at Beech Hill where the weather forecast was completely off and it ended up raining during our session. We still went ahead with it, and I was still able to create beautiful photos for them.

That's Maine weather for you. Sometimes you just have to work with what you get.

On an overcast day I'm not even that concerned about what time we shoot. On a sunny day, I especially love late afternoon and that beautiful golden-hour light right before sunset.

Different conditions simply give us a different Beech Hill.

Is Beech Hill a Good Location for Your Dog?

As much as I love photographing at Beech Hill, I don't think every location is right for every dog.

Dogs need to stay on leash at Beech Hill, and that is completely fine for a photo session. Your dog does not need perfect recall or perfect obedience to have beautiful photos.

For an individual dog portrait, I can sometimes remove the leash later when it makes sense.

I usually prefer dogs to wear a simple collar. If they have a favorite bandana, that can be great too. If possible, I also prefer just their name tag rather than several tags hanging from their collar. It keeps things simpler in the photos and during editing.

If your dog has lots of energy, I recommend exercising them before coming to the session. The walk up Beech Hill is relatively short, so it might not be enough to get those zoomies out before we start.

For shy dogs, I am always willing to meet you in the parking lot. I do this with my Beech Hill clients when needed because it gives your dog a chance to get to know me before we start taking photos.

A dog that is very reactive to other dogs or people might be a different story. Beech Hill can be busy, and in that situation I would rather choose a quieter location. One of our beaches, especially after the busy tourist season, can sometimes give a dog much more space.

The location needs to work for your pet.

What About Photos With Your Pet?

I don't want you to think a pet photography session means your dog gets all the photos while you stand behind me holding treats.

I want a mixture.

I love creating portraits of your pet, but I also want photographs of you together. I will give you some direction, but I would much rather capture some of those candid interactions with your pet than make every photograph perfectly posed.

That applies to families and kids too.

When you look at these photos years from now, I want you to remember spending that time together.

What to Bring to an Outdoor Pet Photography Session

For any outdoor pet photography session, I recommend bringing water for your pet, plenty of their favorite treats and a favorite toy.

For yourself, wear something comfortable.

You might end up sitting in the grass or sand or on rocks during one of my outdoor sessions, so I don't want you worrying about getting your clothes a little dirty.

Warmer, natural colors usually photograph beautifully outdoors. You don't all need to match. Just choose colors that work nicely together. I would stay away from really bright colors, stripes, busy patterns or big logos because they can become distracting in the photos.

And before your session, check your pockets! Phones, keys, wallets or anything bulky can create awkward shapes in your clothing and make editing more difficult later. I always prefer to get those little things right before we start rather than trying to fix them afterward.

And one Beech Hill-specific thing I don't want to leave out: ticks.

Beech Hill is known for them, so please make sure your pet is prepared and protected before your visit.

Why I Chose Beech Hill for My Fall Mini Sessions

After all of that, it probably isn't surprising that I chose Beech Hill for my fall mini sessions this October.

Part of my decision was practical. I work a lot of hours as a nurse, and I wanted somewhere close to my home base in Midcoast Maine rather than driving a long distance just to find fall color.

But Beech Hill also gives me exactly what I want for these shorter sessions.

We have fall color, the red blueberry fields, the stone hut, open views and lots of different photography possibilities without having to spend most of a mini session walking from one location to another.

And these sessions aren't only for one person and one dog.

I'd love to photograph couples, families with kids and their pets, dogs, cats or whatever kind of pet happens to be part of your family.

If you're visiting Midcoast Maine in October, you're welcome too.

Interested in a Beech Hill fall mini session? You can find all the details and available Beech Hill fall mini sessions here.

Beech Hill Will Always Be One of My Favorite Places in Midcoast Maine

For me, Beech Hill isn't just somewhere I discovered because I needed a good location for pet photography.

I was taking photos of Sarge there long before I ever called myself a pet photographer.

I've been there with my own dogs, friends' dogs and clients' pets. I've photographed it covered in snow, surrounded by green, in beautiful light and in very Maine weather.

And it still never looks exactly the same.

Maybe that's what I love most about it.

But even with all those views and different backgrounds, the most important part of a session isn't really Beech Hill.

It's who you're there with.

If the photographs bring you back to that day and remind you of the time you spent together with your pets and family, that's what matters to me.