About 90 minutes outside of Salt Lake City lies an otherworldly landscape. The Bonneville Salt Flats were formed when an ancient lake, Lake Bonneville, dried up. The lake was huge, filling much of the Great Basin. It eventually shrank below its outlet and so its water became salty. As water continued to evaporate, a densely packed salt pan formed which now covers 46 square miles, roughly 30,000 acres. Every year, from late-fall to early-Spring, the Salt Flats flood with water creating a dazzling "mirror" effect.
A setting like this was perfect for Shay and Eric who wanted engagements pictures that were different from all the rest.
The last time I shot at the Salt Flats was in the Summer of 2019 where temperatures reached as high as 108 degrees! Shay and Eric opted to have their pictures taken in February and after our session I decided that the blistering desert cold was a little easier to handle than the sweltering desert heat.
And as with any session, I always like to shoot closer to sunset to get the best light. However, this is particularly important when shooting at the Bonneville Salt Flats as the sunsets there are usually beyond epic!
They key to achieving this look can only be done with the use of an off-camera flash system. Had I not used one, the sunset would have been washed out and completely invisible. If you choose to have your engagement, bridal, or wedding pictures taken at the Bonneville Salt Flats during sunset, make sure your photographer comes properly equipped with the right lighting set-up.
Everyone needs to visit the Salt Flats at least once – better yet, everyone needs to have professional photos taken at the Salt Flats.
Be sure to stick around past sunset as the sky frequently turns into a magical shade of pink! Some of the most gorgeous sunsets I’ve ever seen have been on the Salt Flats (and trust me, I’ve seen A LOT of sunsets)!
So If you have an adventurous spirit and want your engagement/wedding pictures taken in a landscape that is only available at a handful of places in the entire world, then the Bonneville Salt Flats are the right pick for you!
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