New Year’s Eve Engagement Photography in Portsmouth, NH
Celebrating Naomi & Dustin Where Their Story Keeps Unfolding. There are some couples whose story feels naturally tied to a place, and for Naomi and Dustin, that place is Portsmouth.
I first photographed Naomi and Dustin during a summer engagement session in Portsmouth, wandering the city together as the streets buzzed with warm air and long evenings. When they reached out again to plan a New Year’s Eve engagement session, it felt especially meaningful. New Year’s Eve isn’t just another date for them — it’s their engagement anniversary, a moment that marks the beginning of everything that followed.
This session wasn’t about recreating the summer. It was about honoring how far they’ve come.
Portsmouth on New Year’s Eve has its own rhythm. The city feels quieter, more reflective — the perfect backdrop for a session rooted in intention rather than spectacle. We walked through Strawbery Banke Museum, where snow-dusted paths and historic homes added a sense of permanence and calm to the images. From there, we moved through the downtown streets, letting brick textures, storefront windows, and soft winter light shape the mood.
Instead of posing, Naomi and Dustin simply were. They laughed easily, leaned into each other without thinking, and shared small moments that didn’t need direction. Those are always the moments I’m looking for — the in-between expressions that feel honest and unforced.
What made this session especially powerful wasn’t just the location or the season — it was the why behind it. Choosing to mark their engagement anniversary with photos felt like a pause in time, a way to acknowledge the chapter they’re closing and the one they’re about to begin.
In just a few months, I’ll be photographing their wedding this fall, and sessions like this add depth to that story. When a couple invites me back into their lives again, it’s never just another shoot — it’s a continuation.
Photographing Naomi and Dustin in Portsmouth for a second time felt like returning to a favorite place with new eyes. Same city, different season, deeper connection. That’s what storytelling photography is really about — not just documenting how things look, but how they feel at a specific moment in time.
Naomi and Dustin, thank you for trusting me again to capture another milestone. I can’t wait to continue your story this fall.
