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 eye-catching portraits and photos that stopped us in our tracks this week for the way the photographers focused us on the subject’s expression.

It only makes sense to work with a model again after having previously enjoyed creating photos together. Photographer Justin Jackson says he and this model, who lives in Ghana, had shot photos together before, “and every time, it’s always easy,” he says. “He expresses himself very well.”

Indeed, this portrait focuses the viewer’s attention on the subject’s expression, casting some of him in shadow while positioning his face in the light. They were going for a dark and moody, so Jackson positioned him on a hill of dirt under a bridge. “On this day, it was very hot,” Jackson explains. “I would say that was the only challenge.”

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Josh Olson, a wedding photographer based in Minneapolis, likes to keep a loose framework for his engagement shoots. “I don’t cap the amount of time we shoot,” he explains. “The length of the shoot is instead dictated by the couple’s energy. I also try not to dwell on a single creative idea for too long throughout the shoot and keep things moving at a natural pace. This flow helps keep the posing looking natural and lends itself to opportunities for discovery throughout our time together.”

This was the last photo of what became a 6-hour shoot around New York City. Having explored Central Park and Manhattan—stopping at locations that caught Olson’s eye, as well as a cocktail bar, a favorite restaurant for the couple, their apartment in the city, including cab rides together—they ended their session at dinner.

“While saying our goodbyes, the perspective lines from the surrounding architecture caught my eye, as had the string lights in the background. I told the couple where to stand for one last shot, and Kevin wrapped his arms around Molly tightly, and she laughed. Other than placing them in the frame, I hadn’t given any other direction,” Olson says, making the photo black and white so that we zero in on their expressions. “They both felt comfortable enough to express themselves this way, a sign that the shoot had been a success.”

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Heidi Wild, a photographer based in Martha’s Vineyard, an island south of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, had been working on a documentary about eccentric women in her community when she met Kay Olson, pictured below.

“I would spend hours with [each woman], getting to know them and photographing them,” says Wild, who shot this almost 20 years ago, noting, “I have been sitting on a lot of work, as motherhood took over a bit. I must have gone to Kay’s house at least 25 times during this documentary. She was quite interesting and I much enjoyed our conversations. She would discuss her old days in the modeling industry.”

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“How about something intimate, guys?” asked Singapore-based wedding photographer Dahalan Sarlip. These two, who had just tied the knot, touched noses and closed their eyes. The couple was shy, so they had gone to a secluded corner for some more private portraits.

“I directed them for some poses but decided to let them be and let their love and chemistry do the magic,” Sarlip says of this shot. “As many of the other photos captured were mostly editorial post-wedding shots, my goal was to capture photos of them showing their true love for each other.”

Lucie Bulois, a French expat living in New York City, got a chance to photograph an intimate wedding over the summer between two Broadway actors who originally met on the big stage, playing each other’s love interest. “I thought it would be cool and special to take their bride and groom photos in the old theater district where it all started,” Bulois says. “They’re both great performers and goofy, so I asked them to do a little funny dance to make a GIF out of it.”

It was early in the afternoon, so the sun was still pretty high in the sky. “I asked them to always fully face the sun (and me) when they were posing, to make sure the sun wouldn’t cast shadows on their faces.” They were also contending with New York City traffic, so Bulois had to time her shots accordingly and avoid obstruction. Bulois waited for a red light, positioned herself between two stopped cars and hit her shuuter. “The drivers were quite confused by what I was doing,” she adds with a laugh.

Dig into our Photo of the Day archives for even more compelling and eye-catching portraits.