We photographed environmental portraits of Taira Barron Cran, founder of Salty Western, during a visit to Waimea in Hawai’i. While traveling on Big Island, we came across Salty Western and reached out ahead of time to see if Taira might be open to creating a few images together. She generously invited us up to her studio and farm in Waimea, where we spent an evening photographing her in the spaces that shape both her life and her work.
Salty Western is deeply inspired by the textures of land and sea— ranch life and the Pacific coast— the brand reflects Taira’s upbringing on the North Shore of Oʻahu and her life working and creating on a vast cattle ranch on the Big Island. Photographing her in studio— working with leather, moving through the land, and standing beneath the open sky with Mauna Kea in the distance— felt surreal to us personally and professionally, but more importantly, like a natural reflection of the brand’s story.
The portraits blend candid moments with more fashion forward frames, balancing ease and intention. Some images feel quiet and grounded; others lean editorial, with a sense of movement and strength that would translate easily to branding, campaigns, or personal headshots. Rather than separating subject from environment, the shoot focused on how Taira exists within the landscape.
This project also reflects how we like to work while traveling; whether personal, branding, or exploratory in nature, these shoots often become fully usable visual assets for founders and brands— images that can live on websites, social platforms, press features, or for future campaigns. We’re always open to photographing people and projects wherever they are rooted, and this day in Waimea was a reminder of how powerful it can be to document someone in the place they call home!
Projects rooted in place and personal story reflect our branding photography and fashion photography work. You can also explore a few more Hawaiian landscapes here. If you’re interested in destination campaigns, brand storytelling, or fashionable founder portraits, we’d love to connect— get in touch here :)
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