Texas has its bluebonnets, California brilliant red poppies, and Colorado its columbines. Known only to a few wildflower lovers, however are New Hampshire's lupines, which burst forth in a riot of color each June. Along country roads, fields fill with waves of lupine of every shade of blue and purple, pink and white. The lupines bloom beneath the peaks of New Hampshire's White Mountains, which add a rugged backdrop to the flowers.

The small New Hampshire towns of Sugar Hill, Franconia, and Easton stage the Fields of Lupine Festival every year for three weeks during June. This area of New Hampshire is almost picture- postcard perfect: white churches on town greens, historic inns and barns, and country stores set in classic White Mountain scenery.

This unique area represents a hidden gem for the photographer seeking a fresh and unusual wildflower destination. Fields of deep purple and lavender spikes unroll like carpets along the roads and country lanes. The green star-shaped leaves are interesting subjects themselves, serving as graphic design elements within a composition. The rich profusion of shapes and colors creates an endless source of photographic possibilities. In addition to lupines, at this time in June alpine wildflowers flourish on the summit of Mt. Washington, the highest mountain in the Northeast. You can also photograph numerous waterfalls and gorges in nearby Franconia Notch State Park, or mountain scenery along the Kancamagus highway

The lupines bloom during a two to three week period in mid-June. The exact timing of the peak bloom is subject to change based upon the weather, but generally the period from June 10th to June 16th is a good time to visit. The prime location for the lupines is along Rt. 117 in the village of Sugar Hill, and there are really three photo hot spots in this vicinity. As you head uphill on Rt. 117 from Franconia to Sugar Hill you will see on your right the world famous Polly's Pancake Parlor. Park here and shoot the lupines along a stone fence right in the parking lot. Across the road from Polly's is a large field with a nice red barn that has patches of lupine and other flowers to serve as an interesting foreground for the barn. Early morning is the best time to photograph the barn, but the flowers in the field can also be shot in the afternoon. When you've finished your morning shoot of the lupines, you absolutely must have pancakes for breakfast at Polly's; this is an experience not to be missed.

About a half mile further up the hill from Polly's is the pretty white St. Matthews Episcopal Church. In the field to the east of this church is an outstanding patch of lupines. This too is an early morning shot (go about one half hour after sunrise). In the field you can use the lupines as a foreground with the church in the background.

The distinctive shape of the steeple mimics the shape of the lupines. There are several nice stands of white birch trees in this field that you can also use in your compositions. The main advantage to this spot, unlike most of the other lupine fields in the area, is that it is sheltered from the wind, so you don't have to cope as much with the lupines swaying in the breeze. A straight on shot of the St. Matthews is nice, but if you head across the road to the west, there is a hidden pond that in late afternoon has wonderful reflections of the church.

However the piece-de-resistance of your lupine photo trip should be to shoot the 12-acre lupine field along Sunset Hill Rd. at sunrise. From Rt. 117 heading west, turn left onto Sunset Hill Road right at the Sugar Hill Sampler country store. On your left is a massive field of Lupines, with a clear view of Cannon Mountain and Mt. Washington in the background. At sunrise you can make magical images in this location.

I have done a lot of photography of the grand landscapes in our national parks out west, and I often find doing landscape photography in New England to be relatively tame in comparison. The lupine field on Sunset Hill Rd. is one of the few locations in New England that gives me the same feel as the grand landscapes out west.

Sunrise in mid June is about 5:00 am, so you should plan to be at the field by 4:30 am. From this spot you can photograph acres of lupines in the foreground with the sun rising over the White Mountains.

I use Fuji Velvia film, which does a great job with the greens, blues, and purples that predominate in this scene. Because the flowers often have dew on them at sunrise, you should also bring a polarizing filter to reduce glare on the wet vegetation. If you want to photograph the flowers and the rising sun in the same scene, also bring a graduated neutral density filter to the control the wide range of contrast. Because you can truly do grand scenics from this spot, I often find myself using a wide-angle lens in the 17-35mm range.

Of course the day that I showed up in the field at sunrise with a polarizing filter and graduated ND on my 17 to 35mm lens was the day that I literally stumbled across a mother moose and calf that had been sleeping in the grass, so take my equipment advice with a grain of salt. Once the sun has risen a bit, I switch over to a macro lens to move in on close-ups of the flowers.

Work fast; the mountain winds are usually calm at sunrise. On a sunny day the best light is usually done with by 7:00 am. If the day is overcast you are in luck, you can shoot all day long. I love to do macro images of the lupines; especially the dew drops that bead up on the green spiky leaves. There are paths that are mowed into the lupine field that let you wander around looking for the best shots. Again, you can shoot here in the afternoon, but the morning is a much better time to visit.

Directions

From Boston take Rt. 93 north, and get off at Exit 38 in Franconia, NH. Turn right onto Rt. 18 and head about one half mile north until you can take Rt. 117 west to Sugar Hill. Rt. 117 heads up a very steep hill, with Polly's and several interesting farms and open views along the way. When you see St. Matthews on the left you are near the top of the hill, and at the top of the hill is the left turn onto Sunset Hill Rd. From Boston to Sunset Hill is about a 2.5 to 3 hour drive. This is a sunrise spot not to be missed, so plan on staying over a night to take full advantage of this location. There are a number of charming county inns in Sugar Hill. Most local business sell a Lupine festival Program Book for $5. It has a map of the various lupine spots and a list of other interesting places and activities. It is well worth getting.