Naomi's 1st Birthday Session

I had so much fun photographing Naomi for her one year old session. Here are a few of my favs!

Thank - You

What a year! There are two weeks left in 2010 so I felt it would be a good idea to reflect on all that has happened. 2010 started off with a great accomplishment, I was able to graduate with a BA in visual communications. I never would have thought in a million years that I would be able to complete something like this. As a single mom for so many years, working full time, and being pulled in so many different directions, it was hard for me to stay focused on school and actually get it done. But this year it happened and I am so great full for that. You always hear people say, " If I can do it, any one can do it, " but this saying is so true in my case. I won't say going to school and completing a degree is easy because it's not. It is especially not easy when you have a family to raise at the same time. There were many times that I would sit down to do my school work after a long day of working, cooking, cleaning, helping with the kids homework and such, that I would sit at the computer and cry, because I had no energy left. It just goes to prove that when a person really puts there mind into doing something and asks GOD for help, anything and everything is possible.

After I completed school I started thinking about how I was going to afford paying back my student loans, (After the stress of completing assignments goes away, here comes the new stress of paying the government back). One of the main reasons why I went to school was to start my own media business. As I got more into creating websites for small business and local churches, I began becoming more and more interested in photography. I always loved looking at graphics and different cool visuals that you see on the Internet and I wanted to learn how to do that. I started watching a lot of how to video's on You Tube and attending different seminars. There are so many neat things that can be done with digital photography and I just grew more and more interested in learning how to create beautiful pictures.

I invested in a Canon SLR camera, a good lens, software, and lighting equipment. I even redid my basement and built a small photography studio. (Wow that happened this year too)? I started practicing, taking pictures of my daughter. A funny story real quick, because I don't want to make this very long, my first photo set up was in my basement before it was finished, with my daughter in front of a green plastic table cloth and two really big work lights. It was so funny, when I turned on the lights, my daughter was blinded, but she was a good sport and performed beautifully in front of the camera.

From there, I drug my daughter outside, in the cold and snow, and we had our second photo shoot. Long story short, my oldest daughter has been my ginny pig from the start and a great sport. After that, I started taking pictures for my friends and family members while still teaching myself more and more about lighting, posing, and photoshop techniques.

Shortly after this was when I started to admire wedding photography more and more. I would research local and international photographers and just be in awwww over some of their work. I joined a local photographers association and attended the WPPI road show in Chicago to learn more about the industry. I remember my first mini seminar which was with Chicago based wedding photographer Kenny Kim. All of the local wedding photographers that I had been researching were at this seminar and I felt like such a small fish in a big pond. I also remember felling like everyone in the room was such a super star in my eyes because I was familiar with some of the great work all of them did by religiously studying their websites and blogs. Long story short again, shortly after I decided to do wedding photography, I booked my first four weddings which is a tremendous blessing.

To sum up my journey this year I would say it has been a year of tremendous accomplishments, learning, and growth. Not only has the photography business done well, but I also was able to create websites for two churches and three small businesses. GOD has truly blessed me this year. In the mist of all that was going on, HE blessed my husband and I with an up coming new addition to our family. We are expecting our third child in February of 2011.

Looking back over this past year I cannot believe everything that I have experienced and been through in such a short period of time. I am so happy that I met and fell in love photography
because it gives me a chance to be creative, travel, meet new people, and be apart of one of the most happiest days people share. I look forward to many more experiences in 2011 and pray for the continued success of Blessed Creations. I want to say THANK YOU to everyone who has helped me grow and learn this year. To all of the brides and grooms that I had the opportunity to photograph, I thank you for entrusting me to capture your special day and I pray for blessings and prosperity for you! I want to thank my husband for helping be lug and set up equipment all over town for photoshoots. I also want to thank my mom for always being available to babysit almost every other weekend in the summer when I was busy doing weddings and such.

I am looking forward to what GOD has planned for 2011! Thanks for reading and I am sorry this turned out to be so long!

Family Holiday Portrait Special

Just in time for the the Holidays, Monica Brazier Photography will be having a Holiday Family Portrait Special. November 26th thru December 12th the studio will offer new unique backdrops and decorative props for the Christmas season. Ten customized portrait holiday cards are included with your creation fee of $50.00. Additional cards also available for purchase. If you want your family portraits to stand out from the rest, schedule your studio session with Monica today! Please see Holiday Flier below for more information.

100 Black Men of Greater South Bend 2010 Gala

Last week I had the great opportunity to photograph the 100 Black Men of Greater South Bend Indiana's Gala fund raising event. This new chapter of this national organization strives to mentor at risk children and provide a positive influence for the youth that they serve. I have to say it was a tremendous honor to be apart of this event. I meet so may terrific people and truly had a wonderful time! It was so inspiring to be in a room full of successful people to support such a wonderful and much needed cause. Here are some images from the night that I would like to share. Hope you enjoy!

Off Camera Lighting Training

Earlier this week I had the opportunity to learn some unique lighting techniques and take some photos in downtown South Bend. I thank Katie Whitcome for establishing a PUG here in South Bend and giving beginners like me the opportunity to learn from veterans in the business. I had a really really great time and learned a lot. Our group also had a terrific model to work with! Here are a view images from the session.

Sutherland Wedding

I feel so blessed to have been apart of Brittney and Fred's wedding this past weekend. They are a young couple who have truly put God at the head of their lives and their new marriage. When I am apart of a wedding I don't ever present myself as just the photographer, I take the time to get to know the couple and their families so that I can truly capture the day in a way that will be special for them. Because I get so close to the couples, I always get a little choked up especially when I see the bride all dressed up for the first time. This was the first time, however, that I teared up during the ceremony. This truly was a beautiful and special day, and I again am very grateful to have been apart of it. Here are some preview photos for you to enjoy.

Collado Wedding Preview

It is so wonderful to see a couple get married who are so obviously meant to be together! Jennie and Marcos are such a beautiful couple and I had a wonderful time shooting the photos for their wedding. This Indianapolis couple married at the beautiful Valle Vista Conference
Center in Greenwood Indiana. Photography time was limited but I think I was able to uniquely capture the day for them. I hope you enjoy this preview....

New Beginings

Isn't is funny how when you are excited about something, there is no problem with waking up at 6:00 in the morning to do something like blog. If I had to wake up this a.m. for my regular customer service job I would be moaning and groaning, and complaining about how tired I was. Not today! I had such an amazing time yesterday at the WPPI road trip conference in Chicago. WPPI is the Wedding and Portrait Photographer International association. I learned from the best like Salvatore Cincotta, Bob& Dawn Davis, and Jasmine Star which was an amazing opportunity!

I feel so inspired and I have so many ideas and new directions for my photography. The days of playing it safe are over! From now on I am pushing all the limits and going crazy creative with all of my clients. I have a new vision for my website, my logo, and my overall brand. I am so excited about everything that I can't sleep any longer today! I have always been the type of person to push beyond the limits so why stop now! I love this new direction in my life and I cannot wait to see where this ride is going to take me! Stay blessed and much much more to come! Buckle your seat belts!

Wow! It has been along time since I have posted anything new. Blessed Creations Multi-Media (myself) also builds and designs websites. I have been busy the past few months focusing on getting two new sites up and running. I will post the links when they are near completion.

Over the weekend though I got a chance to shoot an engagement photo session with Jennie and Marcos. They are a very cute young couple who will be getting married at the end of September. I look forward to sharing those pics with you also! We were at the beautiful campus of Butler University in Indianapolis Indiana. I had a lot of fun and as you can see in the photos to couple truly had a fun time also. Enjoy!