Sara Monika, Photographer

This guys was standing the hallway, minding his own business + enjoying cocktail hour, when I saw that painting on the wall. I looked over at him, then back and the painting, then back at him and thought to myself...oh yea this needs to happen. I went up to him and asked if he would stand beside the painting (for obvious reasons) and so he did! What a great sport! We had a laugh, along with some others that were there and then I went on my way, full of excitement that Meg + Andrew would have this random photo in their gallery to make them laugh when they saw it #obsessedwithhumorinmyworktomakecoupleaugh

I need your help deciding! Which design is your favourite? 1, 2, 3, or 4? It’s for my micro course coming out in January for photographers all about how to attract ideal clients! Thanks for helping

Stacey + Kyle clearly entertained by the speeches their family + friends had for them

An emotion filled moment between Emily + her dad after she handed him a handwritten note spontaneously

Rooftop romance

Sara + her dad waiting around the corner + sharing a moment together just before she walked down the aisle to marry Matt Florals by @tanyalistdesign and btw if you are looking for a wedding dress @sarastasoff is selling the one pictured here

It’s time to set our habits up for the coming winter. Especially this winter! My winter mantra = There is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothes! So get out to embrace some fresh air on a hike today! Do you you have a mantra that helps get you through and enjoy the winter more? I’d love to squirrel up some good ones for the season!

I loved seeing how affectionate Lindsey + Matt were with one another all day. This was when we hopped in the car to go chase the sunset for some photos and I turn around and there they were lovingly staring at each other

This is why I refuse skin smoothing/face altering filters on Instagram stories.... It affects how confident we are in our own skin in the long run. Having confidence is so necessary for so many things in our life. The more confident we are:... 1. The bigger we dream 2. The happier we are because we don't feel stressed as much about what others are thinking of us, and that could be so crippling 3. We are more likely to try something new 4. Our self worth is healthier 5. Our mental health is more stable 6. Our relationships are stronger - ex. if you're not confident in your own skin, that could effect your relationship with your partner and in turn your connection with one another And many more things... Sure in the moment it could seem like were using the filter for fun...but WHY do we use filters that smooth our skin, and alter our face shape!? I wonder what will happen if everyone chooses to show up this way. Will more women feel even more pressure to be perfect? With these filters, it’s not just the media portraying what is meant to be beautiful but now it’s everyday people that market it on social (without even knowing it). If you are someone that uses these filters, I challenge you with love and without judgement to pause and ask yourself this simple and powerful question. Why do you choose to do it? To me, filters just for fun are looking like a bunny or a character, or playing a game with them. But not face altering filters that we begin to use on the daily to cover up how we really look. I have made the choice to train myself everyday to choose to show up as I am. Make up or no make up. Good skin, or with maskne (acne from masks), great hair or whatever looking hair. I do so because I know that as soon as I start to nit pick at myself and then try to hide those so called imperfections to try and hold myself to the beauty standards that we have been shown our entire lives, THAT way of being becomes a habit and that compounds into created deep rooted confidence issues. I also show up that way to show others that it’s possible to show up imperfectly and still be successful in your business! (whatever success means to you) Agree or disagree?

With being used to shooting on average 30 weddings a year and then having documented 12 this year because of COVID, I’ve had some extra space to go back in time and browse through wedding work from years ago! (These images are from Kathleen + Chris’s wedding back in July 2017!) What I’ve noticed is that as an artist,is that it’s beneficial to step away from your work and then look at it with fresh eyes to really see how talented you really are! As photographers I know it’s so... easy to want our work to look perfect and it’s so easy to fall into nitpicking that we could’ve done better. But then when you pause and unearth work you haven’t looked at for a year, or two, or three...you realize the gift you give others and you get a confidence boost right away! So if you’re a photographer that’s feeling stuck or overthinking if you’re good enough, just look back at your work from a year or two ago and realize the beauty you created and how far you’ve come in growing as an artist! Who else has been diving into their work from years ago just to reminisce lately?