One of my favorite parts of the planning process is talking themes with families. This is where a session starts to feel personal, not like something pulled from a template, but something that actually reflects who you are and how you live.

At Lynn-D Gunter Photography, every session begins with a planning appointment before we ever get to session day. We sit down and talk about your style, your home, the colors you’re drawn to, and the feeling you want when you look back at these images years from now. The theme grows naturally from that conversation, and everything else – wardrobe, textures, tones – builds around it.

Here are some of my favorite directions families choose, and why each one photographs so beautifully.

Soft and Dreamy

This is one of the most timeless directions I work in, and honestly one I never get tired of. Think cream, ivory, blush, and warm white. Soft wraps, delicate textures, and natural light doing all the heavy lifting. Nothing competes with the baby – your little one is the entire subject, and everything else just holds space beautifully around them.

Families who choose this direction often pull pieces from the LGP client closet, which I’ve built specifically with tones like these in mind. The wardrobe is curated to photograph in a soft, luminous way, which means you’re not starting from scratch trying to find the right dress. We handle that together during our planning appointment so that by the time session day arrives, there’s nothing left to stress about.

This palette also translates into some of the most stunning heirloom albums. The softness of the images carries through into print in a way that feels genuinely timeless.

Earth and Nature

Warm terracotta, sage green, dusty olive, linen, and warm brown – this direction has a grounded, organic quality that I find deeply beautiful to photograph. These sessions feel like home in the best possible sense. If your nursery, your living room, or your personal style leans toward natural materials, warm wood tones, and earthy textures, this palette will feel completely cohesive with the rest of your world.

It also translates beautifully into wall art. When we sit down for your virtual ordering appointment and I show you the custom gallery wall designs I’ve created for your specific home, earth-toned sessions almost always land perfectly, especially against warm paint colors, natural wood furniture, and organic textures in the room.

Bold and Modern

Not every family gravitates toward soft and neutral, and I love working with families who want something with more presence. A more editorial direction – deeper tones, intentional contrast, clean lines – can produce some of the most striking newborn portraits I’ve ever made. Deep navy, forest green, or rich charcoal tones paired with a newborn’s soft skin create a depth and visual tension that is genuinely stunning when printed large.

If you’re designing a home with a more contemporary or modern aesthetic, this is a direction worth exploring seriously. The images from these sessions tend to look incredible as statement wall pieces, and they hold their impact over time rather than feeling like a moment in trend.

Heritage and Heirloom

This is the direction closest to my heart. Layered warm textures, antique-inspired tones, rich creams and browns – portraits that feel like they could have been made in another time. These are the images that get pulled out decades later. They are the ones that get passed down.

This theme pairs especially beautifully with the heirloom albums we offer, which are crafted to last generations. When a family chooses this direction and we sit down together to design their album, the whole thing comes together in a way that feels genuinely significant. Not just pretty pictures – a real record of your family at this moment in time.

Whichever direction speaks to you most, we’ll build it out together from the very beginning. That’s the whole point of starting with a planning appointment, so that nothing about your session feels accidental or last-minute. Every detail is chosen with your final images in mind.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do we decide on a theme for our session?

We figure it out together during our pre-session planning appointment. I’ll ask about your home, your style, and the feeling you’re going for. From there I’ll guide you toward a direction that works beautifully for your session and your eventual artwork. You don’t need to come in with a fully formed vision – that’s what the planning process is for.

Does the LGP client closet have pieces for all these themes?

Yes. I’ve been intentionally building the closet with a range of tones, textures, and silhouettes so that whatever direction we land on, we have wardrobe to support it. I’ll guide you toward the right pieces during our planning conversation so nothing feels like a guessing game on session day.

Can we change direction on session day if we feel differently?

Once we’ve planned your session, everything – wardrobe, tones, textures – will be prepared specifically for the direction we chose together. Small adjustments are always possible, but the more clearly we nail down the vision ahead of time, the more cohesive and intentional your final gallery will feel. That’s exactly why the planning appointment exists.