Ladies and gentlemen, WOW do we have some stunning images to share with you today! I’d like to introduce you to Mickaela and Poamo, our incredible couple! We are so excited to share this shoot with you. We incorporated this couples session at The Salt Flats alongside a styled shoot we were hosting with Cactus and Pine Co. You guys, it turned out soooo well!! We are literally happy dancing over the way this shoot turned out. For starters, Mickaela and Poamo absolutely SERVEDDDD. Like, they were making every single angle and every inch of lighting WORK in their favor. But something I loved just as much was that we had the opportunity to highlight, celebrate, and cherish their Indigenous culture in an AH-MAZING location – The Salt Flats!!
The Salt Flats in Utah provides the perfect blank canvas for any shoot, and it was the perfect setting to highlight how amazing our couple is!
Mickaela and Poamo wore chic black clothing and traditional indigenous jewelry that popped beautifully against their attire and the Salt Flats. Mickaela looked stunning with a dreamy turquoise necklace, earrings, and bracelet. She even wore a carefully crafted pair of moccasins! Poamo looked equally as good with a turquoise necklace and rings plus one gorgeous turquoise detailed hat.
Now, I want to give you an inside scoop on what it was that inspired us to add this concept into our plans. First of all, we’ve been dreaming of returning to The Salt Flats for ages!! But, during the planning process, we knew we wanted to bring in some representation of individuals and cultures that aren’t seen as often in the wedding industry. In fact, when we were advertising the concept we noticed that it was nearly impossible to find inspiration that wasn’t racist or offensive.
Lately, we have noticed there is a huge lack of diversity and representation of culture in the wedding industry; epecially when it comes to styled shoots!! It is so important to see content out there that you can relate to, and we truly hope that we are helping the wedding industry take the proper steps towards diversity and inclusion. Our goal was to capture a couple for who they are and celebrate their love while also highlighting the beauty of their culture.
Mickaela and Poamo were the ideal models for our shoot.
They were so much fun to work with, and willing to do any pose we set them up for! It gave us the opportunity to work with a couple who identify closely with their culture. Throughout the day we talked about their experiences, what their culture means to them and what we can do to better support individuals from different backgrounds. Overall, we were thrilled with the way this day went. From the hazy horizon of the Salt Flats to the rich golden hour sun, every ounce of this session was perfection.
Days like this are the perfect example of why we love what we do so much. As photographers, we not only capture moments but we are storytellers. We share experiences, moments, and information through beautiful images in hopes that they make a positive impact. We hope that in just a few short years the wedding industry will shift toward the representation of all individuals and their love stories. Representation matters, who you are matters, and we want to highlight all the beautiful things that make you who you are.
Editorial Indigenous Couples Session at The Salt Flats
Vendors:
Planning + Hosts: @cactusandpine.co
Hair Artist: @brookiegbeauty
Makeup Artist: @cierahmua_
Models: @mickaelaaliifua @aliifuapoamo
If you loved this indigenous couples session at The Salt Flats, head to the blog and see more couples and wedding inspiration!
