A GIRL WITH A CAMERA IN HER HAND AND GLASSES ON HER NOSE
An adventurous soul, always grateful to be on the road with my pack – my better half, two little ones, and a furry aussie monster. A dreamer, animal lover, and a bit of a weirdo. Wife, mom, entrepreneur. A woman of many roles. Lover of Harry Potter, Star Wars, good food, and hard music. That’s me, Monika, nice to meet you! I’ve been wandering this world for 30 years. Apart from traveling, animals are an integral part of my life, which is why I chose veterinary school and continued at VFU, studying Animal Protection and Welfare. Life happened, and I no longer spend my time in barns or labs but with a camera in hand, documenting love and telling stories. And I absolutely love it!
MY PHOTOGRAPHY STORY BEGAN IN YEAR 2009
I stumbled into photography quite by accident. When I was in high school,
I thought it would be nice to have a good camera (or any camera at all, since I didn’t have one) for those lovely “family photos for the drawer.” From vacations, my animals, and so on. It was 2009, and I picked up a camera for the first time. And since then, I haven’t put it down. I photographed everywhere, everything, always. From photographing my dog and our trips, I slowly moved to photographing people and delved deeper and deeper into photography.
AGAIN, DIFFERENTLY, AND BETTER
A few years passed, I had my portfolio, regular clients along with new ones, and photography turned from a hobby into a side job. Since I always had the idea ingrained in my head that after university I should find a “full-fledged, socially acceptable job,” which photography supposedly didn’t fit into according to those around me, I never really entertained the thought of making a living solely from photography, and if I did, I quickly dismissed it.
So, I continued with school, three part-time jobs, and in my free time,
I photographed. And it was terrible. Because of school and part-time jobs,
I had almost no time for photography, when I wanted to focus more on photography, I had to cut back on part-time jobs, so I had to photograph every commission to balance things out. After a while, I felt like I wasn’t progressing at all and was photographing just out of inertia. And I burned out. Like paper. I found myself at a crossroads where I had to choose which path to take. Whether to give up photography or not.
Since I loved photography and am quite stubborn, I decided to give it a try. Again, differently, and better. In 2017, I got a new camera because my old one was on its last legs, and a year later, I started my own business, quit my
part-time jobs, and became a full-time photographer. It was risky but one of the best decisions of my life. Since then, I’ve been making a living doing what I love, and I’ll never stop being grateful for it. Life is just too short to live it according to someone else’s beliefs.
SOMETHING MORE THAN JUST PHOTOGRAPHY
Photography… It’s almost like having a magical power. With the press of
a button, you freeze time forever. Yes, I’m waiting for my letter from Hogwarts. Still… Nevermind. I was always the odd one out, never quite fitting in anywhere, so I started hiding behind a camera, showing people their beauty that they couldn’t see in themselves. Being a photographer, to me, means capturing memories and telling a story. Your story.
But it’s something more for me. It’s my safe place. And I’m trying to create save place for you. Whether you’re gay or straight, of a different skin color, or expressing a different gender, I’m here for you. I’ll make sure you feel you can be yourself with me. Fuck what others think you should be or look like. Awaken your weird self and inner child. Misfits unite!
Your day is unique, just like you are. And it should look that way too. Forget about what Aunt Karen thinks your wedding should look like. Your wedding should be how you want it. Don’t be afraid to do it your way! Whether it’s a small intimate wedding, an elopement, or a party hard till morning hours, I’ll capture your memories and make sure you feel like rock stars at your own concert.