Claire came up from southern Michigan to visit the breathtaking Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes. Empire has always been a special retreat for her and her family, and during her teenage years, she spent summers working in Suttons Bay, MI. When she wasn’t working, you could find her at Empire Beach, curled up with a good book and the sound of the waves in the background.

So when it came time to celebrate her high school graduation, there was no place she was more excited to choose.

We met on a warm August evening and wandered along the shoreline before heading up into the quiet grove of beach trees just off the water. Before the shoot, Claire told me she wasn’t comfortable in front of the camera, but that didn’t last long. She was a natural.