When ShayLynn filled out my senior questionnaire she requested pictures at the Mary Macdonald Preserve in Copper Harbor. I love doing any type of session on Lake Superior, but senior portraits are my favorite!
Lake Superior Senior Portraits
ShayLynn’s family lives downstate, but they look forward to their trips to the Upper Peninsula each year. They’re all avid hikers and explorers and love discovering new places just like Rob and me. We give ShayLynn & crew major props, though, because for a change they introduced us to a new favorite location! You don’t have to be a full-time Yooper to appreciate this incredible place the locals call “God’s country.”
ShayLynn’s family planned their week trip to come up for her senior pictures on Lake Superior. I love when families go the extra step to make senior year special!
High School Senior Session in Copper Harbor, Michigan
Rob and I left Hancock early Wednesday morning while it was still dark to make the drive up to meet in Copper Harbor. Early September mornings are crisp and cool, and I was a little nervous about whether ShayLynn would be cold. I always do a pre-session clothing consult with senior girls ahead of time, and she planned to wear mostly dresses. Thankfully, as the sun rose it burned off the early morning fog and we were blessed with a warm, clear day!
I immediately liked ShayLynn as we parked in the lot for Horseshoe Harbor and started walking towards the beach. Easy to talk to and highly intelligent, it’s no surprise that she’s planning to pursue a business degree and become an entrepreneur.
ShayLynn’s “absolute favorite” beach is a tucked away piece of land a short but challenging hike from Horseshoe Harbor. To preserve the integrity of this literally untouched stretch of beach that’s all the detail I will be providing publicly 😉 Sadly all too often the “Leave No Trace” mindset is discarded, even in a Pure Michigan gem like the Upper Peninsula. Rob and I often pick up old cans and other trash during hikes and beach walks alike.
The hike in had a variety of elevation changes and a few rock scrambles, but ShayLynn was an absolute trooper. She brought her multiple clothing changes on the way and changed when we arrived. The little bit of extra baggage was definitely worth it because everything still looked pristine!
ShayLynn’s only request for specific imagery for her senior session was “something unique and elegant.” I have to say, I think we nailed it! Her blue wrap dress had the perfect amount of movement and shape, and her other outfits were on point as well.
Lake Superior Fun Facts
Did you know?
By surface area, Lake Superior is the world’s largest freshwater lake at 31,700 square miles. It’s greater than the combined areas of Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New Hampshire. It also contains as much water as all the other Great Lakes combined, even throwing in two extra Lake Eries. Its volume is second only to Russia’s Lake Baikal.
Lake Superior contains 10% of all planet Earth’s fresh surface water. There is enough water in Lake Superior to cover all of North and South America with water one foot deep.
Additionally, the average underwater visibility of Lake Superior is about 27 feet, making it the cleanest and clearest of the Great Lakes. Underwater visibility in some spots reaches 30 meters.
The Lake Superior shoreline, if straightened out, could connect Duluth and the Bahama Islands.
Lake Superior produces the greatest lake effect snows on earth. Lake effect snows extend 20 to 30 miles inland from Sault Ste. Marie to the Wisconsin-Michigan border. Average annual snowfall in Michigan’s Keweenaw exceeds 200 inches most years.
Finally – it’s the big lake they call Gitchee Gumee 😉 #IYKYK
Copper Harbor MI Senior Portraits
Believe it or not, ShayLynn kept these white pants pristine the entire shoot! I wasn’t going to have her sit at all in them, but she didn’t mind. Her school has a uniform requirement, so she embraced the chance to wear something fun and out of the ordinary.
You know that phrase “happy girls are the prettiest”? ShayLynn is already gorgeous, but – pardon the cliché – when she laughs her whole being lights up.
Senior Portraits at Horseshoe Harbor Beach
Before we left the “secret beach” and headed back towards Horseshoe Harbor ShayLynn made her final outfit change into this purple shirtdress. Every look was so timeless, but I think this one was my favorite. The rich purple hue contrasted beautifully both with the Lake Superior blue and the green backdrop of the trees.
ShayLynn wanted to have a few images done at Horseshoe Harbor “proper” as well, and actually did the entire hike/climb back in her dress! (Although she did exchange her black wedges for hiking boots.)
A few last words –
ShayLynn and family – thank you for planning senior portraits into your vacation! We love exploring the Keweenaw with people who love the UP as much as we do – swapping stories and cracking Midwest jokes along the way 🙂 We can’t wait to see how you continue to succeed after high school!
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