Meet Monika Normand: Wedding, Portrait, and Branding Photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Monika Normand and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Monika, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I had been photographing portraits of friends and family for a few years as a hobby before the thought even occurred to me that I could transition my photography interest into a business. I was studying wildlife biology in college and really had no intention of becoming a photographer. As I was building my resume in the wildlife realm, more and more people kept referring new clients to me for senior portraits, family photos, and even weddings. Once I photographed my first wedding, I started to take my hobby more seriously. I created my business entity, began charging real rates for my work, advertising my services, and reinvesting in my business (while working a full time job). I guess my answer to this question is that I didn’t truthfully have a well-planned thought process behind starting my business. It happened organically. But, my decision to take the leap and run my business full time as my sole source of income was much more well thought out. I was unhappy with my full time job, I felt restless, unappreciated, and not challenged fully. I craved variety and knew I had the capacity to succeed as a photographer. I wanted a life in which I could create my own schedule, dictate my own success, enjoy a variety of new experiences, learn, grow, and do something I enjoy while also making other people happy in the process.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
As a photographer I love color, light, composition, and perspectives. My style is vibrant, colorful, bright, and true-to-life. I take pride in capturing my clients’ personalities/brands in an authentic way, helping them feel comfortable and confident in front of the camera, and cultivating a one-of-a-kind fun experience. I love bold colors, I love to make people laugh, and I love being around people that make me feel full of life, and all of these aspects of my personality are reflected in the photos I take. I specialize in branding photography, portraits, and wedding photography, so it’s important for me to capture colors in their true shade, to keep light as natural as possible, and to be sure that my photographs represent moments accurately – whether it’s a photo of a client’s product in a lifestyle setting, or their bridal bouquet at their wedding. One of the biggest challenges as a business owner and self-employed artist is that there is no clearly defined path to success. There is no particular ladder to climb, no true pre-requisites to start, and no one moment that indicates that “you’ve made it”. I’m constantly learning to navigate my own path. What I want to emphasize to those embarking on a creative path is not to get caught up in comparison with others when everyone’s path to success is different and measured by their own personal goals and desires.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
My favorite places to eat: Oishii for the best sushi (SMU Boulevard) Ellen’s for the best Southern brunch (Historic West End, Dallas) Partenope for upscale affordable Italian (Downtown Dallas) Las Palmas for TexMex (Uptown Dallas) My favorite things to do: Visit the Dallas Arboretum Walk the Katy Trail Visit the Dallas World Aquarium Explore the Stockyards in Fort Worth Walk through/shop/eat in Bishop Arts Yoga in Klyde Warren Park The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I’d love to credit my high school digital photography/art teacher Mrs. Teixeira for teaching me how to edit in Photoshop, giving me an opportunity to be creative, and continuing to support my business today.

Website: https://monikanormandphoto.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/monika_normand_photo/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/monika-normand/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/monikanormandphotography
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRqrDmy3Is9r6P2WFpzL8Hg
Other: https://www.pinterest.com/monikanormandphoto/

Image Credits
Monika Normand Photography