Mandy Houston Photography

04/10/2026

Life is constantly throwing curve balls and keeping us on our toes. I was just getting back into the swing of things with my photography and I'm finding myself having to take another hiatus.

I'm not sure when I'll be back, but as soon as I figure things out I'll be sure to share. Unfortunately, this includes end of life sessions as well. If you're in need of an end of life photographer, I highly recommend looking at The Tilly Project's directory.

04/08/2026

03/29/2026

A message for reactive dog owners.

I see many people who are hesitant to book a session due to their dog's reactivity whether it be towards other dogs or humans. And, yes I know that some dogs can be far more reactive than others. However, in most cases that alone is not reason to not book a session if it's something that you would really like to do. There are ways to work around it.

One, there are places that we can meet which are quieter than others or large enough to make sure we're far enough off the main path to lessen the chances of passing others.

Two, during my sessions, regardless of where we are, my eyes are constantly scanning our surroundings. I know that many people let their dogs off leash even when they're not supposed to. Whenever I see someone approaching I'll always let "you" know so we can do what we need to do for everyone's safety.

Three, as much as I want to hug and smooch every pup I see, I know that not all dogs appreciate or want that kind of affection from a total stranger. For the most part, I keep myself as hands off unless the dog approaches me and is seeking my attention. I am a big believer in personal space.

Four, I have zoom lenses! I do not need to be 10' away from your dog to get photos. These zoom lenses allow me to keep a safe distance while still capturing some really beautiful images.

Five, I don't really put a time limit on sessions. I know that some dogs need some extra time to settle in and that's ok! Worst case, while they're sniffing around and calming their senses, I'll just stay back and snap a few candid photos.

I'm sharing all of this as a reactive dog owner myself. My boy Finley here, who will be turning 5 in June (where does the time go?!) is an anxious and reactive boy. Honestly, for the longest time I didn't even try to take him out. It was just easier and safer to keep him at home in his comfy space, but we've been working on it and he's getting better and better. This past Friday night I brought him to the beach and he had the best outing he's ever had! He was so happy and he had so much fun! My heart literally wanted to explode seeing him so happy and I was able to get some pretty cute photos of him in the process.

So... with all of that said, if you are interested in trying to get a session in with your reactive pup, please do not hesitate to reach out. We can discuss your pup's specific needs and try to figure out a plan. Every pup deserves their time in the spotlight!

Side note, Finley is harnessed and leashed in this photo (see photo in comments).
Second side note, photographing your own pup is actually much more challenging than many people might realize!

03/27/2026

DISCOUNTED SUNSET BEACH SESSIONS FOR APRIL!

Just a friendly reminder of the discounted beach sessions that I’m offering for the month of April. I have a handful of dates still available. Our beaches in NH close to dogs at the end of April so I figured this would be a great opportunity to get these sessions in before it’s too late!

I'm also extending this to York, ME (the Nubble Lighthouse) and Fort Foster Beach in Kittery, ME (assuming the snow has melted as this would require a little walk from the parking lot to the beach).

Due to my full time job work schedule, this is for sunset sessions only so please plan to meet at 6pm if you book a session. I’ll list the available dates below.

The cost of these sessions is $250 and will include ALL edited photos.

If you're interested in scheduling, just shoot me a message here on Facebook and we'll get you on the calendar!

AVAILABLE DATES:

Mon 4/6
Mon 4/13
Wed 4/15
Mon 4/20
Tues 4/21
Mon 4/27
Tues 4/28
Wed 4/29

03/21/2026

It feels like it's been forever since I've been out shooting. My last official sessions were both on 11/5/25. My father passed about a month later and I hadn't touched my camera since. Today was the start of getting back into the swing of things. I was feeling a lot of excitement, some nerves, and some sadness as I know that these pups will soon be making their final journeys.

I ended up doing two sessions today. One in the morning with a handsome guy named Jett and then this afternoon I met up with another handsome guy named Bluff. I'll be sharing more photos of each of them in the coming days, but for now... here's a little preview.

Thank you to Angel and Christina for trusting me to capture these photos for you. I've said it countless time and I'll continue saying it... I always feel that it's such an honor being asked to do this kind of thing.

03/05/2026

I can't let the day end without sharing a photo of my boy Logan. If you've been following me long enough, you know the story. If you're a newer follower, Logan is the inspiration behind my photography. I lost him five years ago today to a horrible disease known as Degenerative Myelopathy. He was my heart dog and he's the reason I got started with end of life photography. When I tell you that I know the pain of losing a pup, believe me... I do and my heart goes out to all of you who are healing from a loss or preparing for the difficult day. 💞

03/01/2026

DISCOUNTED SUNSET BEACH SESSIONS FOR APRIL!

Our beaches in NH close to dogs at the end of April so if you've been considering a beach session, next month will be the time to do it! Hopefully by then all the snow will be gone and it'll be warmer!

I'm also extending this to York, ME (the Nubble Lighthouse) and Fort Foster Beach in Kittery, ME (assuming the snow has melted as this would require a little walk from the parking lot to the beach).

This special will run for the entire month of April and is for sunset sessions only as I do have a full time job and will be working during the day. The available days will be Mon, Tues, Wed, and Sat.

The cost of these sessions is $250 and will include ALL edited photos. :)

If you're interested in scheduling, just shoot me a message here on Facebook and we'll get you on the calendar!

02/26/2026

I thought moving my desk to the other side of the room would be a good thing so I can keep a close eye on Dixon while I'm working. I didn't think of the fact that he'll be staring me down with those big puppy eyes and having full on conversations with him. He had a lot to say a few minutes ago. Haha! He's had a good day considering. We were a little worried because he hadn't gone potty by this afternoon, but he FINALLY went! He's walking pretty good considering and has been alert most of the day. It's nice seeing his personality coming back after being so out of it yesterday. 😊

02/25/2026

Dixon says home sweet home! He's got his own little recovery corner set up in my bedroom. He's still a little wonky, but already starting to put weight on his leg. He's definitely a tired boy so hopefully he'll crash hard and get some good sleep now that he's home. The vet staff said he's very sweet, but he's also very anxious in the hospital. Poor boy. Oh... and Finley was over the moon excited to see his brother home again!

02/25/2026

Thank you all so much for your well wishes! Dixon made it through his surgery and will be staying at the animal hospital overnight. We'll be bringing him home in the morning. We could bring him home tonight, but his surgery was late in the afternoon so we feel safer letting him rest up with the vets and staff around.

Dixon had a 90% tear on his ACL. The meniscus and everything else looked ok. When he had his right leg operated on it was his ACL and meniscus that needed repair work so we're hoping his recovery might be a little bit easier for him this time around.

It was so hard leaving him there this morning and we can't wait to see him tomorrow.

Thanks again! It was a long, stressful day but all is well now. 💞

02/23/2026

Meet Dixon... my mom's boy. Dixon is the sweetest, most gentle, chillest dog you'd ever meet. Mom calls him her "marshmallow". I know we all say "he/she's one of a kind" and it's true, but Dixon... he's truly something else. I often say that he's a very old soul.

Tomorrow he'll be going in for surgery to repair his left ACL. A couple of years ago he had his right ACL and meniscus repaired and we were "warned" that they often times end up needing it done on the other leg... so... here we are. His surgery was actually supposed to be today, but it was postponed due to the storm.

Surgery is always such a scary thing regardless of how minor or major it is. We're having very mixed emotions about it because of his age (he'll be turning 11 in May) and because he's lost quite a bit of muscle mass on his left leg. At the same time, with all of this snow he doesn't really have much use of the yard so it's a good time to get it done and let him heal up. We've been limiting his mobility and resting him, but it hasn't done much so far. We had a consultation with the surgery team a couple of weeks ago and they reassured us that he's still a good candidate for this surgery as he's in great health otherwise.

My purpose in sharing this is to ask all of you to please send him some well wishes and good vibes. He has no idea what's coming tomorrow, but mom and I do and we're both dreading dropping him off at the animal hospital. :'(

02/22/2026

Do I have any followers out there who are interested in booking a session, but are hesitant due to their pup's age and/or mobility limitations?

I'm thinking of offering a round of minis strictly for older pups who can't get around very well or who have other mobility issues. As of right now, I'm thinking of doing this at a nice, quiet park in Manchester, NH (as seen in this photo of Reegin from her session last year) but I'm always keeping my eye out for new locations as well!

I'm just putting feelers out to see if there's a need for something like this. :)