Swift River, White Mountains – Living in the White Mountains of New Hampshire I have the benefit of being able to photograph locations during all four seasons. One area of the White Mountains I have photographed in every season is the Swift River along the Kancamagus Scenic Bypass.

When building an image archive, photographing locations in every season can be beneficial, but photographers must keep in mind that building a successful image archive involves photographing new locations and scenes, not photographing the some scene over and over.

I have always thought of the Swift River as being the perfect "White Mountains" river. On any given day you can find groups of people canoeing, kayaking, fishing, swimming and sunbathing on the river. There really is something for everyone to enjoy along this river!  

Much of the river travels along the Kancamagus Highway and can be easily accessed without problems. The only exception is during the winter months when snow depths are high. Snowshoes will be needed to reach some parts of the river, but the scenes are worth it.

There are a few excellent vantage points along the Swift River where mountain scenes can be captured. I really love the view of Mount Passaconaway with Swift River in the foreground.

I stated at the beginning of this blog post that photographing new locations is essential when building an image archive. If you insist on shooting the same areas over and over I suggest looking at locations with an open mind. The more you study an area the more photo subjects you will find. View more images of the Swift River here.

Happy image making..

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Erin Paul Donovan

Owner of ScenicNH Photography LLC

Erin Paul is a professional photographer, writer, and author who specializes in environmental conservation and historic preservation photography mainly in the New Hampshire White Mountains. His work is published worldwide, and publication credits include: Appalachian Mountain Club, Appalachian Trail Conservancy, Backpacker Magazine, and The Wilderness Society. He has written two photo history books about the White Mountains: the East Branch & Lincoln Railroad (2018) and Franconia Notch (2024).