about our Story
Growing up in Vermont, an irrational obsession with rocks and the outdoors from toddlerhood eventually led me into a career as geologist. My professional life provided opportunities to travel all over North America and even into the arctic, flying missions with an aerospace company in Nunavik, Canada and later working everywhere from the American Southwest to the North Slope of Alaska.
In college I studied aerial imagery and remote sensing for geological exploration, and the days of my aerospace career were spent honing my skills in everything from satellite data processing to hyperspectral and thermal infrared imaging. I went to work every day in a twin-turboprop DHC-6 bush plane and flew some of the most advanced imaging cameras in the world. But everywhere I traveled, no matter how fancy the aerial imaging gadgets I got to work with, my appreciation for this incredible world kept me married to a personal camera.
Today, the bush planes and cryogen-cooled thermal cameras are long behind me, and my personal cameras have gotten a bit more advanced. Photography, in all its artistic expressions, naturally took its place in my life as a full-time pursuit.
Back in the northeast, I began working full-time as a commercial photographer. As a former geologist, I was hired by National Geographic to guide photography excursions out west. Working as an expedition leader and instructor led to even MORE opportunities to fall in love with the American landscape and the art of nature photography. We opened our gallery in downtown Littleton in 2019, and I stepped away from guiding with National Geographic to operate the gallery myself.
I now live with my family and work my craft exclusively here in northern New Hampshire – our personal idea of paradise. My history with the White Mountains goes back to my teen years, when I regularly hitched rides into the wild places to experience a remoteness and ruggedness I couldn’t find anywhere else in the East. One may notice in my portfolios that photography has taken me far beyond NH, but my excitement about our return here is impossible to convey.
Here is a never-ending list of things that inspire me: white-frosted mountains, weather-beaten trees, deep valleys, and villages filled with the most unique people in the country. Our community of Littleton and the surrounding area is robust and thriving, with ways for nearly anyone to plug in and contribute according to their talents. We are thankful to be a part of this.
– Shaun
Feature Short Film about Shaun: “The Wild white Mountains”
The White Mountains have a long-standing reputation as the most rugged and picturesque peaks of the East. Millions of people hike the trails of the White Mountain National Forest every year. But local landscape and wildlife photographer, Shaun Terhune, has created a life far beyond the beaten path. The Wild White Mountains is a short film that transports us into Shaun’s perspective of these mystical mountains and the black bears that call them home.
Shaun is a well-known artist in Littleton, New Hampshire, a bustling community of artisans nestled in the mountains. He spends his days venturing off the trails and into the backcountry to witness moments rarely seen by hikers. Shaun’s work captures forgotten relics, unique views of the landscape, and the wild animals of these forests in their natural element.
in the spotlight
Publications, Features & Collaborations
The North Face
National Geographic
NH State Parks
Wanderlust USA
Eastern Mountain Sports
New York Times
Northern Woodlands Magazine
Invitation Magazine
Country Living
National Geographic Expeditions
Gestalten
Photographic art You Will Treasure. Made in New Hampshire by Shaun Terhune.
Every photograph sold in our gallery and online is handled personally by Shaun, signed, and framed in his workshop. Between hiking & shooting in the field, operating the gallery during business hours and working on prints and frames at the workshop, it’s a full life! We are so thankful to be a part of the Littleton community here in northern NH..
Littleton Coffee
Shaun runs on caffeine! We highly recommend visiting Inkwell Coffee on Beacon Street.
Littleton Art
If you’re in the mood to check out other unique art offerings in Littleton, don’t neglect to visit The League of NH Craftsmen, Bad Art, Baba Yaga and Just L.
Littleton Beer
Just across the street, Shaun is also fueled by the tasty beverages at Wildbloom Beer and Little Town Brews, and has been honored to collaborate with Schilling Beer Co. on packaging labels and other art!
