Christina

Most senior sessions at Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive end at the overlook. Christina's started there and kept going. We hiked up to the summit, then continued out into the dunes as the afternoon moved toward evening and the warm light gave way to the cooler blue that comes in after.

Three outfits, one park

Christina came prepared. A striped jumpsuit for the lower overlook, where the dunes stretch wide and the Lake Michigan view opens up. Pinstriped pants and a white shirt for the summit. Then a yellow floral jumpsuit for the dunes themselves, once we'd hiked in and the sky shifted.

Three changes across a single session is a commitment. It means staying organized, staying flexible, and being willing to hike in heels if that's what it takes. Christina was game for all of it.

Using the park the way it's meant to be used

Pierce Stocking is easy to rush. You pull into the overlook, take in the view, shoot a few frames, and head back to the car. That's one version of the park. The better version takes longer. There's a smaller overlook tucked earlier on the drive that most people skip. The summit involves an actual hike. The dunes themselves, away from the road, are a different environment entirely once you're in them.

We spent time at each of those spots. The session moved through the park rather than stopping at the obvious shot. By the time we reached the dunes in her yellow floral jumpsuit, the warm light was gone and the cooler blue was coming in. That shift is worth waiting for. Christina stayed for it.

That's what senior portrait sessions at Pierce Stocking can look like when there's time built in and no rush to get back. The park rewards that. You just have to be willing to stay.