My Photography Journey on Mount Washington

By Charlie Peachey

I bought my first camera soon after finishing my internship at the Mount Washington Observatory in the summer of 2019, and that’s when my photography journey truly began. At the time, I didn’t know much beyond pointing and shooting, but the landscapes I was surrounded by demanded to be photographed. The following semester, I enrolled in a photography class to learn the basics of my new camera—how to control light, frame a scene, and understand the technical side of my gear. Once I had those fundamentals, I was off and running, teaching myself more through trial and error and countless hours of exploration.

I started taking my camera on hikes, eager to capture the colors of sunrise over the mountains or the way fog clung to the treetops after a rainstorm. Soon, friends and various school clubs began asking me to take photos for them. By my last few years of college, I was both the team photographer and president of Plymouth State’s Ultimate Frisbee Team. That role was my first experience of actually “profiting” from my work, but it was still more about passion than payment. I carried my camera everywhere, constantly seeking opportunities to improve my skills. Toward the end of my undergraduate and graduate years, I shifted to portrait photography, which challenged me in new ways—different lighting, working with people, and creating intentional moods in my shots. One of my favorite assignments from that period was photographing a friend’s proposal, crouched and hidden in the bushes, waiting for the perfect moment to click the shutter.

When I returned to the Observatory, I knew my camera would see a lot of use. The summit offers some of the most stunning views in New England, and each day presents a different scene—sea-like clouds, golden sunsets, ice-covered towers in winter. But after a few months, I realized I wanted to improve my skills. I was drawn to astrophotography: capturing the stars, the Milky Way, and the night sky in all its detail. To do that, I needed a more capable setup. I sold my beloved Nikon D3500 and lenses to buy a Sony A7R II paired with a fully manual 20mm Samyang F/1.8. That decision turned out to be one of the best choices I’ve ever made.

The new camera unlocked possibilities I had only dreamed of. It could capture landscapes with sharper detail and perform better in low light, making it perfect for mastering the complexities of astrophotography. The timing couldn’t have been better—less than a week after I bought it, I was on the summit during one of the most powerful solar storms in decades, followed by an incredible display of northern lights. It was as if Mother Nature had given me my first test with my new gear.

There aren’t many places in New England with darker skies than the Mount Washington Observatory. Most people have to plan, pack, and hike to find an ideal spot for astrophotography, hoping for the right conditions. I just need to step outside. That easy access to untouched skies is a privilege I don’t take lightly, and it’s what has allowed me to explore this new form of photography.

The Observatory’s name has also boosted my work’s credibility and reach. Over the past two years, my photos have been featured by Fox Weather, The Weather Channel, Sports Illustrated, The Boston Globe, The Wall Street Journal, and Outdoor Magazine, among others. Without the Observatory, it’s unlikely those outlets would have noticed my work.

One of my proudest moments was taking a photo during my first snowfalls at the summit—a moody, quiet scene that perfectly captured winter on Mount Washington. I loved it instantly, but it became even more meaningful when Tuckerman Brewing Company selected it for the label of our collaboration beer. Seeing my image wrapped around bottles in my local grocery store was surreal. It also felt like a full-circle moment—years earlier, I had served plenty of their beer while bartending my way through both of my degrees at Plymouth State. Now, my photography was literally part of their brand.

I never expected to become so deeply invested in photography after returning here, but I’m grateful for it every day. People often ask how I manage to take such striking photos, and I usually tell them the truth: the mountain does most of the work. Still, I’ve learned that the real challenge isn’t just capturing beauty—it’s discovering new ways to see it. After hundreds of sunsets, it’s easy to repeat a shot you’ve taken before, but doing so feels like shortchanging the moment. I want each photo to feel fresh, as if it tells the story of that specific day, in that specific light.

I also love telling a story through my photography in an organic way that best captures the beauty and uniqueness of the environments I’m privileged to work in and call home. Sometimes that’s challenging, especially during extreme weather, but I enjoy the challenge of conveying that message. Commuting to and from the seacoast of New Hampshire every week gives me a unique perspective on the beauty of nature, though only on the luckiest days. Every week, I make the tallest commute in New England (sea level to 6,288 feet), which exposes me to a wide range of weather conditions and seasons depending on the time of year. It’s not uncommon for me to experience winter on the summit, spring at the mountain’s base, and then summer back on the seacoast within just a two-hour drive. However, it’s rarer to witness an incredible sunrise along the seacoast in the morning and then an equally stunning sunset at the summit on the same day. I’ve been fortunate enough to experience this a few times, with the best example of the striking contrast in environmental beauty shown in the two photos below from May 28, 2025.

That’s why the summit constantly motivates me. It pushes me to adapt, experiment, and keep evolving as both an artist and a technician. Here, every day is a chance to work with my camera in some of the most extreme, unpredictable, and breathtaking weather environments in the world. And as long as I have this view outside my door, I’ll keep finding new ways to share it.

Of course, any blog post about taking photos at the summit wouldn’t be complete without mentioning Nimbus, our resident summit cat, mouse hunter, and model. It isn’t uncommon to be stuck in a cloud for a week at a time, which makes capturing beautiful and unique photos very challenging. Luckily, that’s where Nimbus comes in! Whether he’s running around outside in the rock pile or causing chaos at the weather desk, he’s always a great subject to photograph. He knows he’s a star, so it really seems like he’s posing for his fans every time I take a photo.