Photography Unfiltered with Catherine Hall

Saying “I do” might be a traditional rite of passage, but Tara and Travis’s wedding was anything but. Held amid the vast nothingness of sandscapes at Burning Man, my fellow photographer Tara Arrowood said an emphatic “I do” to her cowboy, Travis Pynn. And I was there to capture it all – their joining of hands under the 40-feet-tall Bliss Dance, a 7,000-pound translucent steel sculpture of a meshed-skin female dancer; the colorful guests clad in a mix of bohemian, hippy and cowboy chic outfits. Jonathan and Linnae Asiel’s inventive artistry created an edgy yet consummate reception crafted with blossoming succulents of dark and pale colors, old-world snuff bottles, ragged ropes with an air of European sensuality meshed with cowboy punk.

As a Burning Man veteran and a photographer, I had a great time documenting the desert celebration. Every shot was bursting with eclectic details and a depth of emotions enhanced by the vintage/retro theme. Burning Man is all about living life the way you want to and affirming your identity through art, expression and authenticity, and I couldn’t think of a better way for two dynamic spirits such as Tara and Travis to begin their lifelong journey together than on the playa with the citizens of Black Rock City as their witnesses. Tara and Travis, thank you for inviting me to be a crucial part of your love. I am honored to share my images of their extraordinary celebration here and in the pages of Today’s Bride.