DAWN HEUMANN

Last autumn photographer, Dawn Heumann, partnered with Modern Huntsman and an all women  team of editors for the Raised Wild Women's Issue,  to capture the lives and mission of the Salmon Sisters. Claire and Emma were born in one of the most remote places in the world, the Aleutian Islands of Alaska. Their father and mother, two homesteaders who run a commercial fishing business, raised them to be capable and strong, and to relish in hard work. These women live their values and are undeniably dedicated to their mission.

​Dawn, having worked with the Salmon Sisters before via their brand partner Xtratuf Boots, pitched telling Claire and Emma’s unique story of their remote upbringing to Modern Huntsman for the Women Issue which is chock full of courageous, inspiring, and challenging stories from women across the world.

​As a photographer Dawn knows her role is to become the narrator of her subject’s story. As the narrator, she must choose the right details to share in order to shape the characters and tell the complete story. For this story, that meant meeting them in their most natural state – their wilderness – and experiencing life from their perspective.

​To tell a story of their upbringing in this dramatically remote area of Alaska, Dawn had four days to shoot the sisters in their element. But not every project goes without some hang-ups, especially when the elements are at play. Though they were all stuck inside for two of the four days while sideways freezing rain and 40 mph wind gust beat at their boat - patience, flexibility and a great attitude yielded a series of some of the most dynamic photographs, capturing the sisters and their team in their perfect element.
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