Dog Friendly Sunflower Fields near Charlotte NC

Want to know where to find dog friendly sunflower fields near Charlotte? Keep reading and you’ll find out.

This is Clarke and her dogmom wanted family photos taken in the sunflower fields. We planned this photoshoot back in October 2021 and made it happen this week.

I love helping my client’s vision come to life.

Anyone who knows me knows that I love photographing dogs in flowers.

If you follow me on Instagram, you’ve seen my photos from my trip to Oregon in April and the tulip festival out there. Click here to read a blog post I wrote about the trip that includes photos. (and yes, I hope to go back in 2022 because dogs + tulips are always a good idea!)

The fields are massive and the sun rises behind Mt Hood. It is truly magical.

We don’t have tulip fields around Charlotte but we do have sunflower fields that bloom in early July. The fields are located in upstate South Carolina about 50 minutes from my house. They’re in McConnells SC and they’re operated by Draper Wildlife Management.

They plant different fields each year so it’s always fun to go out for the first time and see what they’ve planted.

Last year there was a field in the back that had a large tree in it that provided some great shade and the sunflowers were short.

Short sunflowers are key. Trying to photograph a dog that is 2 feet tall in sunflowers that are over 5 feet tall is tricky.

This year there are a lot of super tall corn fields planted next to the sunflower fields and most of the sunflower fields are really tall. There are a few areas with some shorter sunflowers but unless you’re photographing a tall dog like a great dane, shooting in the fields this year is challenging.

You can see how Clarke, an Australian Shepherd compares to the corn field and the sunflower field in this photo. Unfortunately I canceled a shoot I had scheduled with Hank, the basset hound because I didn’t think he’d be tall enough.

The fields are about a 10-15 minute hike from the parking lot. Carrying something that is strong enough to hold a dog and elevate him closer to the blooms would be ideal but I’ve yet to figure out what that would be. Two years ago I took a wagon but even with dogs in it, they still weren’t tall enough. And not all dogs would like being perched on something.

Be sure to follow my Instagram. I’m photographing two great danes and two golden retrievers but those photos won’t be edited by the time this post goes live. I’ll be sure to post them on Insta.

This is a blog circle and our theme this week is blooms. As a dog and flower lover, you know I’m excited to see these photos.

Next up is Linda Perdue of VPShoots Photography with our dogs among the flowers. Be sure to click the link at the bottom of each post and you’ll see each photographer’s post. I wonder if anyone else will show sunflower photos. I hope so! Happy reading everyone.