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. Discover the eye-catching portraits and photos that stopped us in our tracks this week, highlighted here for the way photographers incorporated leading lines (or, as in the last example, the complete absence of any) in their portraits of couples.

[Read: Traditional Portrait Photography Rules and How to Break Them]

Uruguay-based photographer Rodrigo Borthagaray was photographing a wedding at a house on the beach when he happened upon this scene.

It almost looks staged, but in fact the saxophone serenade was a natural moment between the bride and groom and their three children. “I just saw it and located myself in what I considered the best place,” says Borthagaray, using the vertical leading lines to draw attention and interest to an already dynamic field of view. “Like many of my photos, I only have to see the situation and settle in the best place so as not to disturb and find the best angle for the shot.”

Carlos Lance, based in Córdoba, Spain, ventured to a postmodern apartment complex in Manzanera, Calpe, known as La Muralla Roja for a pre-wedding portrait session. “The property has been recognized as the most photographed private property on Instagram,” Lance notes, “which has caused neighbors some trouble, to the point of forbidding photo shoots in the property.”

But not before Lance was able to get some shots, using the seemingly endless opportunities for leading lines to strategically place his couple around the complex.

[Read: The Rule of Thirds—How to Use It and When to Break It]

“Walking through it with the couple without them noticing was the most difficult part,” he admits. “The special architecture of the building screamed collage all over, so we had a bit of fun with the couple trying to imitate Where’s Waldo?”

Jacob Gordon, based in Western Australia’s Perth territory, ventured around the area for a couple’s portrait shoot in the middle of summer. It was pretty hot out (about 100°F), so they decided to take a short break to cool off in the shade under a bridge. Gordon looked up and noticed how bright and vibrant the blue sky looked, and noting the graphic angles around him, he decided not to stop shooting and instead use them as leading lines.

“There are several triangles you can see within the frame,” Gordon notes, “including a triangle between the couple. Triangles within an image always help to create a sense of harmony and balance. By increasing my aperture, I was able to underexpose the image and give the sky the deep blue color while also silhouetting the couple. It took several frames and some minor changes to create enough separation between the couple so that their profiles were definable.”

[Read: Aperture and Depth-of-Field—How to Understand (and Break) the Rules]

Flora Gibson, who’s based in Big Sur, California, got the opportunity to photograph a couple who had actually gotten married 10 years ago but whose wedding was photographer-less. They were due to move, says Gibson, so they decided to commemorate their time in their favorite part of Big Sur with better-late-than-never wedding portraits.

“I shoot at this location weekly, and in all honesty, I struggle to make art and see the location with creative eyes each time,” Gibson admits. “This was the last image I took of their adventure portraits.”

The last photo is usually Gibson’s favorite, she says. “As their session was winding down, I asked them to hike ahead and pointed at the cliff we came from. I asked them to go there and cuddle at the edge. Once they were there and I captured the shot I thought I wanted, I waved, gave a thumbs up and yelled, ‘PERFECT, YOU’RE DONE!’ Then I kept shooting.”

Kim Assheuer from Kim Wilfriedsson, a photo business based in Münster, Germany, encountered a conundrum photographing a couple’s wedding portraits back in December: It had been raining all morning, and the rain flooded the spot she had chosen for portraits.

“I spotted this unimpressive high hedge on the side of the road and immediately loved the structure,” she says. “I took the picture from the knees up to naturally hide the overgrown part of the hedge and expand the width on top. I draped the veil and just told them to get close, cuddle up and enjoy this intimate moment before their wedding—and before I would crawl under the veil with them to play my part as the professional third wheel.” She chose to edit the photo in black and white to simplify the composition and eliminate any distractions.

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