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 our eye-catching photos of the week that stopped us in our tracks and read the backstories on the how they were created. 

Atlanta-based photographer LaJoy Cox had the opportunity to photograph model Kenni Powe for a Grand Marnier campaign. Cox had a vision of something a little dark, figuratively speaking, showing viewers that “there are things about us delicate little flowers that you just do not know,” she says, “including the fact that we like to drink things other than wine and margaritas.” She wanted people to see that women can “be a little rough around the edges—we can have fun and be elegant as well.”

She placed Powe halfway in the shadows, halfway in the sun. That was how she was able to get her eyes to pop in the frame, in a way she couldn’t have achieved as effectively had they been set up in a completely shaded spot.

“We waited for the perfect moment to catch the sun peek from under the clouds long enough to get this shot,” Cox explains. “The sun-kissed look made the photo work,” as well as “the mix of a lot of femininity and a dash of masculinity.”

Wedding photographer Ash Davenport of MIKI Studios only lives a few hours outside Paris, so he is accustomed to getting booked by couples heading into the City of Love for romantic portrait shoots and weddings. This couple hosted their nuptials at the Hôtel Ritz in Paris but requested a pre-wedding portrait session a few months prior to the chaos of the big day.

“We did all the obvious shots, showing Paris in all its glory,” Davenport recalls, “but towards the end of the shoot, we decided to head towards the Louvre.” On their way there, the sun began to set, its rays poking through nearby trees. Davenport knew they needed to take moment to bask in this light. “This was a simple matter of ‘Stand there and connect with each other,'” he says, “and my business partner, Mick, and I captured as many frames and footage as possible as we knew their wedding was in the winter so any backlit sun-setting images were worth their weight in gold for the couple.”

Elle Wildhagen, one half of the wedding photography duo KINDRED, based in L.A., says the couple for this Northern California wedding were inspired by the iconic “second line” in New Orleans during their celebration. They looked for second line bands online but couldn’t justify the price, so they decided to come up with something a little more DIY.

“They opted to rally the troops, i.e. the guests, to form their own musical parade,” Wildhagen explains. “Shortly following the ceremony and leading into the reception, they handed out toy instruments and paraded down a gravel path, belting tunes to what I am sure sounded like a dissonant cacophony to anyone not in the heat of it.”

At one point, everyone paused for a group photo as Wildhagen’s husband and business partner, Zach, stood on a ladder to capture it. Meanwhile, Wildhagen crouched down and captured the action from a lower angle. “It was the perfect distraction,” she reflects. “As they all cheered, dog included, the only figure that noticed me was the young flower girl front and center, embodying the infectious spirit of the musical parade. I shot this with a wide lens and up close, and although there were many moving parts (literally), by being on her eye level she became the focal point of the crowd. The rest of the figures’ activity supports her emotion rather than muddying it. I think the couple got exactly the grandness they were going for.”

Nigerian photographer Emmanuel Oyeleke was set to be interviewed by CNN at his studio, and in addition to their conversation with him, they were hoping to capture some footage of him doing what he does best.

“I called my friend Yummie, who’s a fantastic stylist, and in 24 hours we came up with the idea to recycle and refashion hand-fans into an elaborate hat,” he says. Shooting with flash, with a golden light set behind her, “it worked perfectly.”

UK-based photographer Damion Mower was photographing a wedding that took place at West Health School in Kent, a sentimental location for the couple. The two of them had been outside talking to a guest, who had an agenda to distract from the commotion inside—meanwhile, the rest of the guests grabbed confetti and lined up along the stairs and adjoining balcony above. “As they walked in, guests starting raining confetti on them,” Mower says. “It made for a lovely image and was a lovely welcome and surprise for Jasmine and James.”

Dig into our Photo of the Day archives for even more compelling imagery.