Creative portrait photography at its best makes viewers stop and stare. Sometimes, that creativity comes in the form of an unusual composition. At other times, it’s a slower shutter speed, or even gear, like a prism or fog machine. This week, we’re featuring five examples of excellent creative portrait photography. Find inspiration and advice from Madison Bethune, Oren Sew, Danielle Veitch, Kayla Lisee, and Sharyn Hodges.

Madison Bethune, Maddy Bethune Photography

When Madison Bethune of Maddy Bethune Photography plans an engagement shoot, she encourages couples to select locations that are important to them even if they aren’t necessarily “beautiful.” For this particular couple, that meaningful location was the red line in Boston. Right after getting the couple set up for a shot from across the tracks, a train arrived and Bethune decided to keep snapping to try to grab a shot of the couple through the train’s windows. Her experiment was a huge success, resulting in this composition that perfectly frames the couple. She used a Canon EOS R6 and Canon 24-70mm lens for the shot.

“My advice would be to never be afraid to try something new, and use the couple’s story and interactions as inspiration for new ideas,” she suggests. “I don’t go into shoots with particular poses or set ideas because I really want the ideas to come to me as we work together. And a lot of the time, the best photos are the ones that weren’t planned for (a perfect example is this photo). If you feel like you’re stuck in a spot where you think a certain type of style or photo is expected from you, do those at the session, but also take some time to try new things to start building your portfolio with the type of work you want to lean into. Post the photos that you love on social media, not the ones you think others will love, and you’ll start to attract people who value your art specifically.”

Oren Sew, Oren Sew Portraits

Oren Sew of Oren Sew Portraits captured this shot after being inspired to explore the creative energy of dance, light and photography. Fog, along with a constant light modified with a blue gel, helped build the creative atmosphere. He captured the image with the Sony a7R III and a Sony 55mm lens.

“I think it is really important to play and be unconventional,” Sew says. “Set out to discover how things look from your own perspective. Try things for the fun of it — much like children. We could all use a dose of returning to our youth once in a while.”

Danielle Veitch, Danielle Veitch Photography

When Danielle Veitch of Danielle Veitch Photography was tasked with capturing her best friend’s surprise proposal, she knew she also wanted to capture the less seen side of London as part of that story. The London underground represents the couple’s commute, but what makes the shot is the couple’s unbothered posing and attire juxtaposed with the blur of the train in the background. She captured the shot with the Nikon Z6 II and a 35mm lens, using a 1/15th shutter speed to blur the train.

“Thinking about the story behind the image is important,” she says. “For me, I like my photos to tell a story both individually and as a collective. Of course, some moments are best left to spontaneity, but I like to put a lot of time in to pre-planning set frames that I think will best capture the essence of the couple in hand. I think a slow shutter speed, when used creatively and with purpose is one of the most beautiful ways to add a flare of creativity to an image. In this image, for example, it’s been used to freeze a moment in time. The background is obviously (and iconically) London, but the blur pulls your focus back to the couple.”

Kayla Lisee, Beneath the Trees Photography

A simple accessory like a prism can add flare to creative portrait photography. In this image by Kayla Lisee of Beneath the Trees Photography, a prism adds repetition on the edges of the frame that helps draw the eye to the couple during the formal portraits for a Valley of Fire wedding. She captured the shot with a Nikon Z6, Tamron 35mm, and a prism.

“Step outside of what the norm is. Take your time and play with lighting/angles and a prism. Have fun,” she suggests.

Sharyn Hodges, Sharyn Hodges Photography

Sharyn Hodges of Sharyn Hodges Photography was on her way to the Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon in Iceland during an elopement when she said, “Stop the car!” There were several lupine fields and the sun was hitting just right. After taking a few portraits, Hodges wondered what the field would look like from above and got out her DJI Mavic 3 Pro. The light hitting the bride’s face and dress makes the couple pop despite being surrounded by beautiful wildflowers.

“I am a huge believer in ‘visualization,'” Hodges explains. “Before all my shoots, I take 20 – 30 minutes. I lie down anywhere — couch, bed, floor, grass — and just close my eyes and visualize what I would want to create. Visualize where the sun will set. Visualize your couple standing at that spot — how are you going to ’pose’ them, etc.”

Dig into our Photos of the Day Archives for even more timeless photos, eye-catching portraits and wedding photos. Submit your wedding, editorial, documentary and other interesting imagery (up to five images at a time) to: [email protected].

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