Did you see our most recent Photos of the Day? In our daily series highlighting some of the most interesting images in wedding and portrait photography, the editorial staff asks the creatives behind the photos to detail the backstory and technical approach. Here’s what caught our eye this week.

Rapid Light Change for French Alps Wedding Portrait

The sun was quickly setting over the French Alps when Kat and Ash, the photo duo behind The Springles, set off for portraits with the bride and groom. “Timing was important for this shot,” the said. “We knew we wanted to line up the couple with the shadow line on the mountain range behind them,” all the while avoiding some unattractive roofs and a dirt path in the frame.

[Read about how to fix bad lighting while you’re photographing a wedding.]

Adjusting to a Last-Minute Location Shoot Change

Sebastien Bicard helped turn things around for a couple who had traveled from Singapore to California for work, and were supposed to go on to Hawaii and Paris when the global pandemic detoured photo plans. The couple was understandably “bummed out” about the shoot they they didn’t get to have in Paris, but Bicard says, “they were on a high at the end of the day after creating memories together here.”

The Logistics Behind Taking Doortraits in Dublin

Wedding photographer Katie Kavanagh of Katie Kav Photography, based in Dublin, invested some of her downtime from postponed weddings during the pandemic to take people’s portraits. She had families stand near their doorsteps to document life during lockdown in Dublin, which lifted spirits in the neighborhood—plus, Kavanagh says, “I always wanted to photograph the beautiful doors on my street and get to know my neighbors.”

A Groom Getting Ready for His Closeup

Ash, a London-based photographer who runs MIKI Studios with cinematographer Mick, was trying to figure out a way to capture a tall groom as he was getting ready. Spotting a sofa, Ash climbed up and adjusted his settings, while the groom closed his eyes to concentrate on his bow tie. “When he heard my shutter go off,” Ash says, “he opened his eyes and discovered he was staring right at my crotch, which made him react like this!”

A Collection of Visual Narratives: The Waitress and Others

Tom Jenz has been documenting the black experience in a highly segregated urban area—in this case Milwaukee—through a collection of visual narratives. One of the portraits he has shot is of a waitress named Goldie, who recently was able to return to work after COVID-19 had shut down operations, and who shared her entrepreneurial career ambitions with Jenz.

Dig into the Photo of the Day archives for more.