This week, we take a look at a variety of images that captured our attention with their candid moments and documentary style of photography. Read the cool backstories and executions on each image below.

Janina Brocklesby says that she and her second shooter, Jawad Aslam, rebranded during Covid to officially become Reportage Studios, which is based in the UK. This image was taken during a wedding reception in London. “Jawad stood in one spot for at least 15 minutes waiting for the perfect moment,” says Brocklesby.

She continues: “There were many frames that were taken that day, but this one trumps them all. We love the moment itself but the surrounding people’s reactions just make this documentary style image even greater, in our opinion.” 

[Read: How to Submit Wedding Photos to Publications in a Changing Media Landscape]

For this next image, also by Reportage Studios, Brocklesby says she didn’t want another boring cake shot and was looking for a different view.

“The light was falling perfectly on the cake from the main door; then I saw the bride was there too,” she explains. “I was super happy since the bride had baked the cake herself—it felt right to me to take this image and show a bit of the story behind it.”

Santa Cruz-based wedding photographer Ben Ingram says he has often thought of photography as something of a gift. “Not in the sense of a skill, but as a snapshot in time that can be given to someone for them to remember the moment by,” he explains. 

“One of my favorite parts of destination weddings is spending time in the location before and after,” he continues. “I will often approach couples struggling with a cell phone or awkwardly setting up a tripod and ask if they want an image or two. I noticed this particular couple enjoying the tide pools with their ‘floatie’ and knew I couldn’t pass up the chance to snap a quick drone image. Two minutes later, they had an epic vacation photo and I had two new friends.”

[Read: Drone Portraits: A Guide to Making Images That Soar]

“This shot was taken at cocktail hour as the sun dipped between the trees,” says Heather Stone of Tulle & Tweed Photography. “I was grabbing my gear for the couple’s indoor reception from my car and near the parking lot I saw beams of gorgeous sunlight peeking between the trees of this lush forest backdrop.”

Stone says she had to drag the couple back out for this shot, assuring them it would be worth it. “Their wedding took place at a summer camp, family reunion style. They eloped with their grandparents as witnesses the year prior in Pennsylvania on the family farm, and moved recently to Vancouver Island and wanted their symbolic ceremony, with her dad officiating, to take place locally.”

[Read: A Guide to Elopement Photography When Couples Downsize Weddings]

This bride and groom had a very intimate wedding with just family and a couple of close friends, says Jenna Rae of Jenna Rae Photos.

“It was casual yet very well put together and had Mendocino coast vibes with floral drinks.” The image was taken with a Holga using Kodak 120 400 TX film and Rae loves that it shows the “movement and the story of people ‘cheers-ing’ each other in celebration.”

Dig into our Photo of the Day archives for even more compelling documentary style photos and eye-catching portraits you won’t want to miss out on. Send your wedding portraits, editorial, documentary and commercial image submissions to: [email protected]