When it comes to marking the United States’s 250th anniversary, words aren’t always necessary.
Sometimes a photo says more. And the photo on this issue’s cover has a heart and soul that’s simple and proud: love for an American way of life.
Lia Hallett of Hallett Photography shoots weddings, maternity moments, and portraits. But what sets her apart is her passion for a special style. “I take the photos that I take because I want to represent the Western lifestyle,” she told American Essence. “It’s really important to me to do that.” She was pleased to have one of her photographs selected for its cover.
The Nevada-based photographer, who grew up rurally, started snapping photos of horses and cows during her childhood as a creative outlet. She began pursuing professional photography almost 6 years ago, building upon her original inspiration to excel at Western photography.
Much of Hallett’s photography celebrates the beauty of America’s deserts, and the cover photograph, which was taken right outside Boulder City, Nevada, is no different.
The American Spirit
The image depicts a mounted cowboy holding an American flag. It was inspired by both the Western lifestyle and her family, many of whom are veterans. Hallett took the photo for Veterans Day in 2025 as a way to say thank you to American veterans everywhere.
“I wanted it to represent the true American spirit,” Hallett said. “What better way to do that but with a cowboy, a horse, and an American flag?”
The horse, which belongs to Hallett and her husband, Wyatt, is an American Paint horse. It’s a breed that has a special place in the American West’s history, not only for its colorful coat but also for its popularity as a mount for cowboys. That relationship between cowboys and Paint horses continues to this day—a connection that Hallett shows beautifully in her photograph. Her model was her husband, a police officer and real-life cowboy.
“I feel like America needs more cowboys,” she said. “Their way of life—it’s simpler, they’re hardworking. They’re probably the last of that kind, really, and I think that we need to go back to the basics.”
As we celebrate the past 250 years of our nation’s history, the image of a horse and its rider, with flag unfurled against the Nevada desert, is ultimately a tribute to the land, to sacrifice, and to a way of life that is deeply American.
