Rooted in a rich Polynesian and mixed heritage, I spent eight years exploring mainland France and Europe before returning to my island, Tahiti. I don’t fit the stereotypes often projected onto Tahitians, yet I hold countless cultural stories.
Photography started as a passion, then became my calling when I understood how it helps people reclaim their image and see themselves with love. As a woman and an Indigenous person of the South Pacific always navigating myths and societal expectations, being a photographer carries deep significance.
As a photojournalist since 2023, I also document my territory to offer a native perspective of the South Pacific islands. This personal work is soon available on vaikehushan.com
If you’re seeking someone willing to go wherever the light leads, whether in deep valleys, high ridges, or the shoreline, to create authentic photographs, you’ve found the right place.
When I was very young, I asked my mother to enroll me in piano lessons because all the other children at my daycare were already doing activities. One thing led to another, and I found myself in visual arts classes, and a few years later, art history class. Starting to create at a very young age allowed me not to wonder if what I was doing was beautiful, but what meaning it had for me and how to transcribe it.
After visual arts came photography in middle school. A true epiphany that revealed itself later, during my first year in Paris, far from my family. It was a year marked by a sense of disorientation. Photography was then my sole source of support, the bridge between my life as a young person in Tahiti and my student life in France.
This discipline is the only one that has remained a constant presence in my life ever since, shaped by the philosophical developments in my practice.
Today, photography is an extension of my eyes and my heart. It is the window onto the emotions, subjects, and realities that move me.
Photographing is about looking with intention to capture a meaningful heirloom of moments that matter.
2008
My first photography class
2013
My first digital camera
2015
President of a student photo and video association
2017
My first wedding reportage
March 2019
Launch as a professional photographer in Paris
January 2021
Creation of Studio Mārama and Studio Mārama with love
2023
Photojournalist training and certification
Since 2025
Photography professor in higher education
Mārama in Tahitian means light and intelligence. It is also the name of my late beloved great-grandfather, the one who chose my own name. I gave his name to my largest project to honor him in return.
I founded Studio Mārama in early 2021, along with its spin-off, Studio Mārama with love – a photographic & visual creation company – to build on the work I had already been doing in France since 2019: photographing people in love and creating meaningful photo stories.
My mission through Studio Mārama with love? To create the memory of the people and moments that matter to you. In practical terms, I create unique, timeless and emotionally rich photo stories that will become part of your family heritage. Photographs help to bridge the gap between generations and make us aware of our realities and the passing of time.
Through my documentary-style approach, I capture your stories and intimate moments by intervening as little as possible, resulting in genuine and spontaneous images.
Created by my friend Cattleya from Are Studio, the new Studio Mārama with love’s logo represents the leaf of the ‘uru, the breadfruit tree.
This tree arrived in the Polynesian islands aboard the canoes of the first navigators who settled them. The fruits of the breadfruit tree provided food for the ancient Polynesians all year round, particularly during times of famine.
I am firmly convinced that sincere love grows and multiplies over time, just like an ‘uru tree. As the branches and leaves grow, the roots take hold and give rise to new trees. The fruit appears after a few years, providing an almost endless supply of food year after year.
I chose a logo that is both meaningful and deliberately imperfect, with a rough-edged quality. A logo that reflects the photos I take: sincere, sensitive, and full of meaning.
A logo that also anchors my Polynesian origins and the deep attachment to my ‘āi’a, my home country, which I bring to my work as a photographer.
Sincerity
Inclusion
Kindness
Commitment
Ecology
The main reason I decided to open my own business was to build a life that aligns with my values, and to work with people who share them. If this resonates with you, I’m already looking forward to meeting you.
Hiking in the mountains
Blue cheese
Rail journeys
Running & trail running
Biodegradable glitter
"The moment of photographing, instead of creating distance, is a moment of clarity and emotional connection for me"
Nan Goldin
Vaikehu is a talented photographer, not only because of her technical skill but also because of the time she takes to consider your expectations and requests.
She’ll draw you into her world and guide you while remaining very discreet.
If you’re looking to create memories full of authenticity and warmth, look no further—she’s the one for you!
Romane & Maihau - Tahiti
We had a photo session with Vaikehu in Tahiti during our holiday in French Polynesia, and we would do it a thousand times over! We had a wonderful time together; she made us feel at ease and we laughed a lot! These photos are such a beautiful memory of our trip. Maururu, Vaikehu!
Coralie & Martin - France
