Portrait photography can run the gamut in type and style—everything from the traditional “head and shoulders” shot to lifestyle and environmental, candid and street, glamour, boudoir, maternity sessions and much more. View some of the photos of the week that caught our attention, and read the backstories on the how they were created.

Andrea Verenini was photographing in Becketts, a trendy bar and restaurant in Southsea (Hampshire, UK) when he took this shot.

“As we moved from room to room, we passed a service corridor and I was immediately drawn in by the reclaimed wood paneling on the walls,” the photographer explains. “The wooden textures and different colors juxtaposed so well with the glittery model’s dress, so I decided to take a few shots there. As the corridor was very dark, I positioned the model under one of the corridor’s spotlights to light her and showcase the sparkle on her sequin dress. The blue color you see in the background is cast by natural light at the end of the corridor passing through a blue glass door.”

This particular shot, adds Verenini—which he says he likes because of the textures and colors with a “Fourth of July vibe”—is an in-between-poses shot and shows a genuine reaction to something funny which happened in the background as he was shooting.

“I prefer in-between shots because they bring out the natural state of people and capture real (rather than staged) emotion, which I think is the key to connecting the viewer with a photograph.”

“This photo encapsulates everything I love about Elsa and Danial’s elopement,” says Tasmanian wedding and elopement photographer Jon Gazzignato.

Tasmania’s weather is unpredictable and chaotic at the best of times, but Gazzignato says that didn’t stop this adventurous couple from exploring the rugged coastline.

“The thrashing waves and blistering winds took hold of Elsa’s cape as they jumped from rock to rock, laughing the whole time.”

Abul Shah of Gracious Photography photographed this bride and her groom several months ahead of their wedding, as part of an engagement and lifestyle session in the “Black Forest” in Sussex, England.

“At the time I was exploring ’the curiosity gap’, understanding that there is a strength in not always spoon-feeding the viewer with the obvious, but rather leaving a little to the imagination,” says Shah. “By doing so, you pull the viewer into the image, and ask them to fill in the gaps, which then allows them to connect with the image more. First, I would always take a ’safe’ shot, and then a creative one. However, if the opportunity allows to create something a little more mysterious (through a variety of compositional techniques) then I would grab it.” 

This shot is still one of Shah’s favorites, he says, “though not because of the earthy tones throughout the layers or the beautiful autumn leaf I picked up for bride-to-be Emily to hold out and play with in front of the camera, but because it leaves me wanting to know more.”

Ocean City, Maryland photographer Dennis Tyhacz of Shore Portraits (who is also an account executive for WPPI and PhotoPlus) loves this image of couple Rachel and Sarah’s wedding in Bethany Beach, Delaware, because it “almost looks like a glacier or the tide came in while they were kissing but it’s just the reflection from the prism I used.” 

Adds Tyhacz: “I’ve been experimenting with prisms on and off over the past couple of years, and I like using them on beaches because the sky reflections can often mimic water.  I also think when you rotate them and find certain sweet spots visually, they allow you to change the visual perception of a scene completely in a very short amount of time.”

After Mahum and Tahrim were married, photographer Vanessa Hankins of Vanessa and Johnny Photography and Films was wandering around Palm Beach taking portraits of the happy couple.

“We wandered into the Colony Hotel and found this nook under the stairs right next to a window,” says Hankins. “I didn’t even say anything to them to pose them. They instinctively just held each other. It was so sweet. And I love how the top edge of the couch is like a wave that leads your eye to the couple.”

Dig into our Photo of the Day archives for even more compelling imagery.