She moved to Chicago in 1991 where she still resides. She received her BA in Photography from Grand Valley State University and her MFA in Photography from Columbia College Chicago. Her photographic work has been exhibited by: Columbia College Chicago, Firecat Projects, Northern Trust Bank, Quad City Arts Center, and Birmingham Civil Rights Institute. She has received grants from: The City of Chicago Community Arts Assistance Program, Art Council of San Francisco, Illinois Arts Council and a faculty Development Grant from Columbia College Chicago. Brailey was Senior Lecturer for First Year Seminar at Columbia College Chicago and has taught photography at Columbia College Chicago, College of DuPage, and Roosevelt University. Brailey has been a teaching artist for: Museum of Contemporary Art, CAPE, Marwen and Polaris Charter Academy. Currently she is the High School Coordinator at the Polaris Charter