everything you need to know about our
Family Portrait Experience
We make capturing your family’s story easy and enjoyable, from wardrobe planning to choosing the perfect location. Our sessions are designed to reflect your family’s unique personality, with no pressure or stiff poses. Relax, have fun, and let us create portraits that you’ll cherish for generations.
schedule a consultation
At Monica Browning Photography, we believe family portraits should do more than capture a moment—they should tell the story of your unique connection. Serving families in Manlius, New York, and the greater Syracuse area, we offer a truly personalized experience designed to showcase your family’s personality and love.
Whether it’s a family session, a maternity session, a multi-generational portrait, or our petite sessions for those looking for a shorter experience, we’ll guide you every step of the way. For those seeking a more elevated experience, our luxe portrait sessions provide a higher level of service, ensuring every detail reflects your family’s essence and style.
Our goal is to create portraits that reflect who you are and become timeless treasures for your home, passing down your legacy for generations to come. From start to finish, we make sure the entire process is easy, enjoyable, and stress-free.
Let us help you capture memories that will stand the test of time and be cherished for years to come.
Your Portraits Deserve More Than Just Digital Files.
Timeless Family Portrait Photography in Manlius, NY
schedule a consultation
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We begin with a curated consultation to fully understand your vision. Whether you prefer an in-home consultation where we can get a feel for your home’s aesthetic or a studio consultation where we can discuss lighting and settings, we make sure every detail is planned out to match your family’s unique style.
This meeting is where we get to know you, discuss what you're looking for, and customize your session to reflect your family’s personality. We’ll talk about location options, wardrobe choices, and any special requests to ensure your portraits truly capture your family’s essence.
1. Initial Consultation (In-home or Studio)
the process
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Once we’ve established your vision, we’ll assist with all the details to prepare you for the session. We provide a personalized styling guide to help you select the perfect outfits that not only complement each other but also reflect your family’s style.
From selecting the ideal location that holds meaning to you, to tips on making the day stress-free, we make sure you feel confident and well-prepared. This thoughtful planning ensures that your family feels relaxed and ready for their photo session, creating natural, effortless portraits.
2. Planning & Preparation
the process
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Think of our photo sessions as a fun, laid-back adventure. No stress, no awkward poses—just a chance for your family to relax, laugh, and be themselves. We’ll guide you through each moment, whether we’re capturing the cozy vibes at home or heading out for a fun outdoor shoot.
Our goal? To make sure everyone feels comfortable and has a blast while we capture those perfect, authentic moments. The result is a set of portraits that feel as natural as your family itself—and just as fun to look back on.
3. The Photo Session
the process
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After the session, we’ll meet in person for a reveal session, where you’ll get the first look at your portraits. This is an exciting moment where we walk through your photos together and help you choose the perfect pieces to display in your home.
We’ll guide you through the selection of prints, wall art, and albums, providing our expert advice to ensure your portraits complement your home’s decor and feel like a true part of your family’s legacy.
We want this process to be thoughtful and stress-free, helping you make choices you’ll be proud of for years to come.
4. In-Person Reveal & Ordering Session
the process
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Once your portraits are finalized, we’ll deliver your heirloom-quality prints and wall art to your home. We use only the best materials, ensuring that your artwork will stand the test of time.
Whether it’s a large wall display, a custom album, or a set of family portraits, each piece is carefully crafted to highlight your family’s story.
We make sure your portraits are beautifully packaged and ready to be displayed, so you can enjoy them for generations, creating a lasting memory in your home.
5. Delivery & Final Artwork
the process
We help you plan the perfect display for your portraits. After your session, we offer in-home consultations to guide you in choosing the ideal location for your heirloom-quality wall art. By visiting your home, we ensure your portraits are showcased beautifully and become a lasting part of your space.
We’re committed to helping you select the best way to display your family’s story, creating timeless artwork that will be cherished for years.
In-Home Consultation for Custom Wall Art
Your portrait session is a seamless experience, where expert advice and support are provided throughout. We ensure that you feel confident and at ease during every moment of your session, offering help with wardrobe, posing, and location decisions.
Our role is to make the entire process stress-free, giving you the luxury of enjoying the experience without the worry of details.
Expert Guidance Every Step of the Way
We believe your family portrait session should be as unique as your family. From the initial consultation to the final portrait, we personalize every detail. We guide you through wardrobe selections, posing tips, and location choices, ensuring a session that is tailored to reflect your family’s true essence. Our goal is to make the process feel easy and comfortable, allowing you to be relaxed and natural throughout the entire experience.
Curated & Personalized Experience
We provide a personalized family portrait experience that ensures you feel comfortable and relaxed. From consultation to final portraits, we guide you through every step, including styling, posing, and selecting the perfect setting. Our goal is to make the process enjoyable and stress-free, creating timeless portraits that reflect your family’s unique connection.
The Experience
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"Monica was AMAZING!! We did a 30 minute family session. We were super worried because we have an extremely difficult toddler and honestly didn’t expect much. She was able to get him to sit still long enough to get some great photos. He even fell and smacked his head on the pavement (of course it was as soon as we got there) and she edited out his boo boo like it was never there! We will be doing all of our future photos with Monica. We can’t recommend her enough!"
- jessica c.
"Monica is AMAZING! We have used her the last 4 years for mini sessions. The minis are great when you have little kids. She truly captures our family and makes it quick & easy for parents! I can not thank her enough. We also went to her free Santa pictures this past weekend and it was wonderful. There was no lines and we were able to get wonderful pictures with Santa! Monica- thank you for all you do!!"
- shannon m.
"Our family had a magical experience at Monica browning photography. The studio was adorable with different sets all ready for capturing us. Loved the hot cocoa and Christmas cookies. Santa looked, smelled and even sounded like Santa. A true delight. Highly recommend. Even my teens didn’t dread this photo shoot!"
karen b.
"Have used Monica twice now-both times pictures of my kids have turned out perfect! She has been wonderful to work with on each occasion and made the kids feel comfortable during the shoots. We will certainly be using her again in the future as our kids get older. I would definitely recommend!"
- A PURCELL.
The Petite Session
The Petite Session is designed for families who want a relaxed, high-quality portrait experience in a shorter time frame. Sessions can take place in our studio or at an outdoor location within 30 minutes of Manlius, NY.
Before your session, we’ll have a design consultation to help plan the perfect look, including access to wardrobe styling support. During your session, you’ll receive gentle posing and expression guidance to help you feel natural and confident in front of the camera. This session typically includes one outfit and accommodates up to 6 people—perfect for immediate families.
After the session, you'll be invited to a personalized portrait reveal and ordering appointment. We'll help you select the perfect artwork for your home and provide a credit toward your chosen package. Optional home delivery is available to make things even easier.
Session fee: 150, due at booking. Your sitting fee includes your design consultation, wardrobe styling access, ordering appointment, and home delivery. A $500 prepayment credit is due before your session, bringing the total due to $650. Clients typically invest between $800 and $1,800 depending on their final selections.
Let’s make the process as simple and stress-free as possible—so you can focus on what really matters: the moments we’re capturing.
book your petite session
Session Length: 30 minutes
The Luxe Portrait Experience
The Luxe Experience is our most elevated and personalized session. Crafted for those seeking more than just a photoshoot, this session delivers an unforgettable experience from beginning to end. Sessions take place either in our elegant studio or at a location within 30 minutes of Manlius, NY.
We’ll begin with a comprehensive design consultation to discuss your vision and help you select the perfect wardrobe and location. You’ll receive full wardrobe styling access and professional makeup artistry to help you look and feel your best. The session includes 2–3 outfit changes and accommodates up to 10 people—ideal for extended or multi-generational families.
After your session, you’ll be invited to a private, in-person portrait reveal and ordering appointment where we’ll select heirloom artwork together. Home delivery is available to make the process effortless, and your sitting fee includes a credit to use toward your final package collection.
Session fee: starting at $250, due at booking. Your sitting fee includes your design consultation, wardrobe styling consultation, ordering appointment, and home delivery. A $600 prepayment credit is due before your session, bringing the total due to $850. Clients typically invest between $1,500 and $2,000 depending on their selections.
Let’s create something extraordinary—portraits that feel like fine art and an experience you’ll love just as much as the final result.
i want this experience
Session Length: up to 90 minutes
Our Recent Work
Personalized consultation (in-home or studio)
Wardrobe styling guidance
Location selection advice
Professional posing direction
In-home consultation for wall art planning
Heirloom-quality prints and wall art delivery
Our family portrait sessions include a fully curated experience designed to make every step of the process enjoyable and stress-free. From the moment you book your session, we guide you through everything—helping you choose the perfect outfits, select the ideal location, and ensuring that everyone feels comfortable and confident during the session.
We provide professional posing direction to highlight your family’s unique connection and personality. After the session, we offer an in-home consultation to help plan where to display your portraits, ensuring the final artwork complements your home beautifully. We are committed to delivering timeless, heirloom-quality portraits that you’ll cherish for years to come.
What's Included
frequently asked questions
We offer 30 minute petite sessions our our luxe session is up to 90 minutes. Newborn sessions take anywhere from 90 minutes to 3 hours.
How long do sessions last?
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I understand personally that figuring out what to wear is challenging. Part of our session fee includes a consultation where we can help you pick out what to wear or give you ideas on how to choose outfits for you or everyone in the session. We also have a detailed styled guide to share with you.
What should I wear?
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Sessions start at $650. $350 is the session fee and a $500 print credit to use towards wall art, products and prints. The average spent on a session is between $1000-$5000 for wall art curated for your spaces, albums and folio boxes imported from Ireland.
How much do sessions cost?
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Digital images are included with the purchases of wall art, prints and products.
Do you sell digital images?
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No, we do an in-person ordering appointment at the studio. We will go through all of your soft-proofed images and discuss different options for you and help you narrow down your choices. Having done this for over 7 years and chasing down many people to choose pictures, I have realized that it’s helpful to set a date, go through the portraits, make decisions and let us guide you through the whole process so it’s not hanging over your head for months. As a busy mom of 4, I get how easy it is to let things slide but have that constant task in the back of your mind. I’m here to help make it easiest for you!
Do I get an online gallery?
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Consumer labs do not produce the same quality as professional labs do. My softwares are calibrated to the professional labs that I work with and I have researched and tested multiple labs to find the ones I think are the best. My folio boxes come from Ireland and my albums and some wall art comes from Italy. I want the products I sell to stand the test of time to last for generations and to be the best quality available, to coincide with the service I provide for my clients.
What is the advantage of ordering prints, products and wall art from you?
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My studio is large enough to accommodate 20+ people in portraits and I have multiple backdrops to choose from as well. I also can do on location and outdoor sessions as well and can bring lighting needed. I have a location guide full of my favorite outdoor locations as well that we can go over in the pre-consultation meeting.
Where do you do your sessions?
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I offer a personal photography experience curated to each client. We start out with a phone call or text or email to decide if what I offer is what you’re looking for. Once the initial fee is paid we schedule an in home consultation.
There we will talk about what you’d like for your session, go over wardrobe options and location options and discuss the types of wall art, prints or products you’re looking for. Next is the session that we design for you. Lastly, we do an in-person ordering appointment at the studio to go over all of your portraits and decide what formats you would like them in. Wall art, prints and products will be delivered to your house.
What is your process?
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CNY weather is hard to predict. We keep in touch the day of your session and if it’s going to be windy or raining/snowing, we will move your session to a different date or into the studio if that fits your vision. If it’s just cloudy or dreary, we can work with that! Clouds can actually be a good thing for outdoor sessions!
What happens if the weather is bad on the day of our session?
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I try to limit my weekend sessions as I have four kids still at home, and we try to spend weekends as a family. I am available most weekdays and weekday evenings, and occasionally I can be available on weekends as well. For outdoor sessions, within 2 hours of sunset is the best time, lighting-wise, to do outdoor portraits so I aim for evenings for those.
When do you do sessions?
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