Unapologetic Photography Isn’t a Trend. It’s My Manifesto | Monda Goette Photography
Unapologetic Before It Was Trendy
The word “unapologetic” is everywhere now. Big brands have grabbed it, plastered it on campaigns, and watered it down until it feels like just another buzzword. But long before it became a marketing cliché, it was mine.
Well, maybe not “all mine,” but the word did speak to me long before I knew I would own a photography business. Here’s the story. Years ago, I heard a song on the radio. At the time I was listening to a lot of Christian music, and one most beautiful song stopped me in my tracks. It was Legacy by Nichole Nordeman. Her voice carried over my speakers with lyrics that ignited a spark inside me that still burns today:
“I want to leave a legacy, how will they remember me? Did I choose to love? Did I point to you enough to make a mark on things, I want to leave an offering, a child of mercy and grace, who blessed your name unapologetically, and leave that kind of legacy.”
The word unapologetically from that song rooted itself deep in my heart. The lyrics about legacy made me think: What will people remember me by? What will I leave behind when my time here is done? At the end of the day, did I do right by my creator? That song became part of me, and eventually, part of the foundation for my business.
To Ms. Nichole, if you ever read this, please know how much I appreciate your gift of music and God-given talent. It has forever left an imprint on me and my life. Much love to you!
I didn’t pull the word from a trending hashtag. I didn’t need AI to hand it to me. When I later built my “why” and developed my business manifesto from thought scribbles in a sketch book, the word came back. It had already chosen me.
And so, I declared:
© Unapologetically telling your story in photographs.
That was never just a tagline for me. It was my declaration.
For me, “unapologetic” is about both of us. It is about you: your story, your presence, your right to take up space without shrinking. And it is also about me: how I show up with grit, creativity, and conviction to hold that space for you. I see you, and I create from my own unapologetic truth so your story can be told fully and without apology.
i am me
Telling your story, your presence, without apology with Monda the Photographer in Woodbury, MN. From our teen/preteen project found here.
What Unapologetic Means in My Work
When I say “unapologetic,” I don’t mean loud for the sake of being loud. I mean aligned. Clear. Whole. The knowing of self, without ever apologizing for it.
If your vibe is bold, edgy, and in-your-face, your portraits should scream it.
If your energy is calm, grounded, and timeless, your images should breathe that.
If you are stepping into a new chapter of who you are, the camera should reflect that transformation instead of holding you hostage in your past.
Every detail of your brand including your portraits, your colors, your logo, your website, should tell the same unapologetic story. When it does, there is no disconnect. That alignment becomes the bridge between you and your next sale, your next client, and your next opportunity.
In my portraiture, your images should intentionally hold your personality, your style, and the things you love, in an atmosphere that elevates your energy. If they don’t, then the images are not the real you. And if that happens, I haven’t done my job.
Why Everyone Deserves This
Every single person who walks into my studio matters.
Your story is not less because of the number on a scale, the color of your skin, the years etched into your life, or the scars you carry. Those very things you might feel disqualify you are the details that set the stage for your story. They are proof of resilience, of experience, of being alive. They are part of your beauty.
You are not defined by only one piece of your story. You are the whole of it. And that whole is always worthy of being seen, remembered, and celebrated.
People talk themselves out of portraits all the time. “My story isn’t that special.” “I’ll do it later.” “I don’t look good in photos.”
That is complete nonsense. Your story is always worth exploring. Always worth preserving. Always worth being seen. We only get one life, and every single one of us is remarkable in our own way. We could learn so much from one another if we allowed our stories to be told honestly, unapologetically.
This is why unapologetic has always resonated so deeply with me.
It was never a trendy word I borrowed.
It was a way of standing up and saying: your story belongs here.
My Manifesto in Action
The camera is my tool, but creativity and connection are my language. I see the unspoken parts of you…the fire, the grit, the tenderness, and I translate that into imagery that speaks louder than words ever could. No apologies.
“You were able to connect with our daughter during her senior portraits and made her feel beautiful. You definitely have a gift.”
Portraits are not just evidence that you exist. They are visual declarations of who you are and what you stand for. When you step in front of my lens, your story becomes art. And that art has the power to move, to connect, and to inspire. View my manifesto here.
Ready to Tell Your Story?
Stop waiting. Stop wondering if your story is worth it. Stop hiding behind the idea that someone else’s journey is more important.
It is time to show up, unapologetically.
Let’s start the conversation. Your story deserves to be told: your business brand stepping into authority, your family legacy preserved with intention, your high school senior on the edge of their future, or you standing fully in your own power through a women’s portrait session.
Because “unapologetic” is not a trend here. It is the heartbeat of everything I do.
And to leave that kind of legacy. (Thank you again Nichole for your inspirational lyrics to help shape my life’s purpose!)
Until next time.
Fondly,
Monda the Photographer
