Monica is super fun while still being professional. She knows how to make you comfortable and get out of your shell. She suggests flattering angles and has so many fun ideas. She truly is a master of her craft. I would suggest her to all my friends and family for all their professional photography needs. Can't wait to set some family photos up next! read more

It's a good thing Yelp loves long reviews because I have SO much to say about how much I love Monica. I met Monica over 12 years ago when she photographed my sister's wedding. From there, my family members continued to work with her to celebrate various milestones like babies and what have you. When it was my turn to get married I entertained a few photogs here and there but none were as accommodating as Monica. She was communicative, transparent, and her pricing was perfect for our budget. She shot our engagement photos and at that time my husband didn't have a ton of professional photographing experience. She broke the ice and after our session, my husband said that was the most comfortable he felt with a stranger pointing a camera at him ever. He said it felt like she was a good friend of ours we had known for a long time! This made us even more excited to work with her on our wedding day. She tailored her services to exactly what my husband and I needed for our wedding day. I threw a DIY wedding and was so thankful Monica was working alongside me. She essentially helped me put together a wedding timeline and shot list which really helped keep everything on track. 5 years later, we still fawn over our wedding photos and reminisce on how perfect everything was. And, people still comment on the shots we share being "the most beautiful photos" they've seen. Fast forward a few years later and in the midst of the pandemic, my sister hired Monica to take family photos for my dad. Another great experience. And, my sister-in-law ended up booking her wedding with her too!! Most recently, Monica slid into my email announcing availability for family portrait sessions, which seemed eerily on queue because I was just thinking about getting family photos done since my daughter was a year old. As fate would have it, we booked a date that was a day after our 5 year wedding anniversary. It all just felt too right. And, of course, the pictures were just too damn good. If you've made it this far, I'd say you've made the commitment to at least inquire with Monica. She has years of experience, is trusted with multiple members and generations of family, and I just couldn't recommend her enough. Anytime I hear someone needs photos for a special day, I name drop her and hope they'll find themselves as committed to Monica as me and my family have. read more

Where do I even begin with Monica?! She did our engagement shoot and we fell in love with her energy immediately that we knew we wanted her to do our wedding. Not only is she so fun and helps you feel comfortable in front of the camera (lets be real, it can be real awkward!), but her work is BEAUTIFUL! She is very communicative on timing of when you will receive your photos and very receptive to any vision you may have for your big day. I could go on and on all day about how wonderful she is to have a shoot with, but you will just have to try out for yourself! 10/10 recommend! Thank you Monica! read more

Monica's photos are so overwhelming beautiful. She was great in making my daughter's wedding memorable from the day wedding to the evening banquet. She pretty much just weaved throughout the wedding with so many great formal and candid shots of everyone. It was like reliving that perfect day again. She was definitely a joy to work with on this important day. read more

Monica Dawn Photography - Danielle's and Kevin's Wedding - Session Photography Near Me

Monica is an EXCELLENT photographer, she created some fantastic headshots that I will forever be grateful for! She also got my good side! You won't regret using Monica for any of your photo needs! read more

Monica Dawn Photography - Session Photography Near Me

LOVE LOVE LOVE. Monica went above and beyond to make sure my surprise proposal went smoothly. We brainstormed, gameplanned, and talked about every single detail (things I didn't even consider) before the big day. All while keeping it a surprise. She even helped execute my BIG LIE by playing along with my "story" as the front desk host at the "restaurant" we were visiting. Her attention to detail and passion for her craft is what really encapsulated our special moment. Without her - I don't think it would have been done some wonderfully. Above all, she gets money shots - and thats what I think we all want in choosing a photographer :) thanks Monica read more

Monica is amazing, we have used her for years and never had a bad photo! She always works with us and our young kids. If you need someone for family photos or events I highly recommend her. read more

Monica came to Country House Residence Memory Care in Granite Bay to take our Leadership Team Headshots. She was awesome at directing us, and then offered to take some additional shots of our community for marketing opportunities. I said yes, and she stayed as long as we needed and went from room to room taking amazing pictures for us. I highly recommend her for all your photography needs, she is kind, patient and talented! Kim Eckert - Sales Director at Country House Residence | Granite Bay read more

I found Monica by accident while searching for local photographers. She stood out immediately. I am so glad that I had the honor of working with Monica. She went above and beyond. She scouted out locations in my town days before the shoot. We used a local park all of the pictures came out great and it was hard to choose. I loved them all. read more

I cannot believe that I haven't written a review yet! Monica is such an incredible photographer, so this review is well overdue. I came across Monica's work when I saw my friend's engagement photos; I was so impressed. My friend is already gorgeous, but the way Monica captured her and her then-hubby definitely caught my attention. Anyway, I knew I had to book a session with her. We have done multiple shoots with Monica, and I must say, no other photographer has made me feel more comfortable, confident, and at ease while being photographed (and I've worked with some other awesome photographers!). I've told her a million times that we (hubby and I) don't know how to pose, etc., but Monica always gives great direction without being pushy or unrealistic. She knows your flattering angles, guides you, and is sensitive about letting you know what looks best. Who doesn't want that!?? Even then, the posed photos don't look calculated or cheesy--they look super organic even though we know very well otherwise.. hahah She has photographed multiple occasions, some including maternity, newborn, and my daughter's first birthday. When I first met Monica, it was like chatting with a friend since she's so laid back and friendly. Every subsequent shoot, I had the same lovely experience. Plus, she is SO patient and positive when things aren't ideal (ie. crying/fussy baby). She is so gentle and sweet with my girl, and that trust is important to have when your family is involved. I think it's safe to say that we've found our family photographer for life. :) 1000% recommend Monica Dawn Photography, obviously. read more

I had been searching for a photographer for awhile now to shoot our family photos before our son left for Navy bootcamp, but couldn't quite find one that captured the style and mood I was going for. So when I came across Monica after doing a google search, I knew she was "the one" after viewing her portfolio, and reading in her bio that she grew up in a military family. I had contacted her a week before my son was leaving for bootcamp, so I was worried that she wouldn't be available. I was so thankful that she was able to accommodate us into her schedule, even being flexible enough to rearrange hers to make it work! During the shoot, Monica was fun and easy to work with. She was very professional, and gave us lots of guidance in a manner that made us feel comfortable in front of the camera. We were very impressed with how she was able to actively interact with us while taking pictures, and get our dog's attention in every single shot! She's great at what she does! She told us the turn-around time to receive our photos was 4-6 weeks, but we received them in only 2 weeks, and all 87 of them look beautiful! It will be difficult to limit our choices. We're so grateful we found her, and also bummed we didn't find her sooner so we could've used her more. We've already planned to have her take our daughter's senior photos, and another set of photos when my son comes home to visit after bootcamp. Thank you so much for everything, Monica!!! You're the best! read more

Words cannot express how happy I am to have found such a talented photographer! She's amazing, professional, well prepared, punctual, super nice, patient, and knows how to work the camera lens! She shoot our engagement pictures in San Francisco, and did such an amazing job that me and my fiance decided to hire her to capture our love story at our wedding as well! :) I definitely recommend Monica 100% :) you'll receive great quality, uniqueness, and an unforgettable experience! read more

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I'm so glad we got our pictures done with Monica! They exceeded my expectations - I had no idea how ah-mazing we could look. We had never had professional pictures done, not even at our wedding as we were two broke university students. I had been considering getting them done for awhile and got in touch with Monica through a Wellness Challenge and I knew it was meant to be! I sometimes struggle with body image issues and I was nervous about how I would look when the pictures came out and they make me look and feel gorgeous. AND she even managed to get several cute photos of us with our pup who is not keen on looking at cameras haha. Working with Monica was a breeze - she was easy to schedule with and our pictures came back much quicker than expected. The whole process was very quick and seamless. I highly recommend her to anyone wanting to get pictures taken. Thank you so much Monica! read more

Monica Dawn Photography - Our family - Session Photography Near Me

I first met Monica a little over a year ago. We did a family holiday session and from the moment we arrived she made us feel very comfortable and made the whole process fun (we had a 3 year old) and the pictures came out amazing! We decided to move forward with booking her for our wedding this past September and I cannot tell you enough how happy I am with the way Monica captured our special day, I am still obsessing over our wedding pictures. We had a wedding party of 14 plus the flower girl, ring bearer, our parents, siblings and our daughter yet Monica managed to give great direction and made it so easy for everyone. We recently had a session, my parents siblings and my husband and daughter, with Monica and the pictures came out amazing, per usual. Monica will be our photographer for life! read more

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Love Love Love Monica's work!! She's worked with family for years and myself for a couple years now and she never disappoints. Professional, patient, respectful, and great prices. She's out go to gal for photography read more

Monica was such a joy to work with for our family photos! She was professional, flexible, and incredibly helpful. She gave us several options to choose our preferred photo locations and was willing to drive to us for our photoshoot. She was great working with out 1-year old daughter and able to get her to smile and laugh throughout the photoshoot. And we absolutely love the photos!! We would strongly recommend working with Monica for any professional photo needs :) read more

Monica is the greatest!! She has been snapping amazing photos of our crazy family for the last few years. She is incredibly talented and captures the best moments of our our yearly family photo session. Thank you for Monica! read more

Monica is amazing!!!! She has been taking our family photos for a couple years and every year they turn out beautiful!! read more

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Monica has absolutely blown me away with her creativity and how fun she made our engagement photos. I am not a very good model but the pictures she took definitely made me look like I am. She was patient with us and listened to what we were looking for and took our idea and ran with it. She really brought our vision to life! The props she brought worked well and spiced things up. I would really recommend giving her a call like I did and see what she can do for you. Thank you so much for the great time! read more

I have worked with Monica twice now for my professional business photos, two years apart. I appreciate her work as well as her style. I don't consider myself very photogenic - I immediately get that frozen-face look that is super posed-looking, but Monica is able to break thru that and get me relaxed and even laughing. She's also got a great delivery method. First, her selection process is the best I've worked thru. Many photographers give you 15 photos and tell you to choose your favorite. Monica does it in a lot easier and better way. Also, the very next day I was able to download my prints in low, medium and high resolution for all my business needs. As for other reasons to work with her - she's nice, shows up on time and is professional. She also gave me two looks, which I have not had with other photographers. Two looks for the price of one! read more

Monica was my photographer for my wedding and she was absolutely amazing! She was so patient and kind to every one and we all enjoyed her so much! She sent me a sneak peak of the photos & are absolutely breathtaking. We can't wait to see the rest! Check out her portfolio she does all occasions and like I said she just the sweetest. She captured beautiful moments & the poses and candid shots she had us do were once again amazing! I highly recommend Monica!! I wish I could give her more than 5 stars! read more

She did an amazing job! Pictures of my family turned out wonderful and I couldn't be more happy!

A friend recommended Monica Dawn Photography to my wife and I for our Maternity photo shoot. Monica had very fair pricing, was very easy to work with, helped picked out locations, wardrobe ideas and was flexible with scheduling the shoot. During the shoot she gave great direction and provided a very positive and relaxed vibe which I very much enjoyed. The turn around time for the photos was quick and they came out amazing. So amazing that we called Monica back once we were ready to take our new born shots. Again, Monica was great during the entire process and the photos came out perfect. We'll be giving Monica a call when we are ready for our family photos. Highly recommend giving her a call for any of your photo shoot needs. read more

Lets talk about Monica. Her WORK ETHIC is off the hook. Really, she is very professional. She works hard to get amazing pictures of you from the second she walks in to the second she leaves. My wedding was not, what anyone would consider, organized. Lol My mother was two hours late. My groom and his groomsmen were late AND in the wrong place. I had a list of pictures I wanted taken but the bridal party were...scattered. Really. When I say she worked hard we did not make it easy. She organized us and directed us. Most importantly she was beyond patient with us. I never felt like she was annoyed or rushed. And the PICTURES are you serious? I don't have many awesome angles but I felt absolutely beautiful after seeing her pictures. I am so GRATEFUL for such an amazing photographer I really couldn't thank you enough. Amazing photographer. It would be a mistake not to use her. read more

I'm so impressed with the photos of my son and his new bride. Dawn was professional, fun and extremely professional. The wedding pictures before during and after the ceremony were precious, romantic, fun and artistically beautiful. I can't say enough about her ability to move around the crowd unseen and to see so many fun spontaneous photos was such a pleasant surprise. I would highly recommend her for any special moment you want to capture for a lifetime. read more

We have been using Monica since my son was a newborn and every time I get the absolute best quality pictures! She is so great to work with! We love her!! read more

We loved our family fall photos captured by Monica! She's very good and gets back to you quickly. We will use her in the future for photos.

I was skeptical about having a maturity shoot because I'm a larger woman I tend to not like my pictures. . Monica did such a great job capturing the beauty not only in myself but also in the love me and my husband have for our little blessing. .. I absolutely loved how the pictures turned out and will booking an appointment with her for a family portrait, when are son is born along with our two daughters can't wait .... Thank you Monica for being great at what you do ... read more

Monica is amazing!!!! I've been utilizing Monica as my photographer for 7 years now. I've used her for many different types of shoots, pinup, retro, family, newborn & birthday parties. I've never been disappointed with my photos. Her prices are comparable but what you can't put a price on is her creative personal touch you get before, during and after the shoot. She's become a part of our family, she's been tasked with documenting some of the most important moments in my children's lives and have watched them grow up. To me she's more than a photographer; she's family. read more

I have not taken picture in years because of my recent weight gain. Monica was so understanding of my concerns. She made me feel so secure and confident. Not only did she listen to my concerns, she exceeded my expectations. It's not easy to find a photographer that can capture the most precious moments of your life the way you envision it. Monica was great with my family and even made my Goldendoodle smile. I cant wait to use her for my upcoming family pictures. read more

We used Monica Dawn Photography for our wedding and we are so happy we did! Monica is AMAZING!!!! She was so easy to plan and work with and she rallied our rambunctious bridal party perfectly! Our pictures came out absolutely beautifully and in a timely manner! Monica was even able to get a few pictures ready for us earlier so we could use them for thank you cards and Christmas cards. If you are looking for a lifelong family photographer Monica is your girl! We will definitely use her for our future family events! read more

Had a great experience working with Monica for our newborns photo session. She was very flexible with us and came out to our location. The quality of her work was exceptional. read more