Emma Finch on Boudoir Photography, Lighting and Finding Your Style
Angela Adams talks to Emma Finch.
Emma Finch has built a distinctive career around portrait photography, with her Belle Privé brand specialising in luxury boudoir photography.
Her approach is about much more than creating beautiful photographs. For Emma, boudoir photography is about confidence, individuality and giving women an opportunity to see themselves differently.
Having started her career as a bilingual accountant before moving into family photography, Emma has spent more than a decade developing her photographic style and building a specialist business.
As she puts it: “I photograph women, for women.”
We caught up with Emma to find out more about her career, her approach to lighting and posing, and what she has learned along the way.
From accountant to professional photographer
Emma’s route into professional photography wasn’t a conventional one.
She began her career as a bilingual accountant, but the birth of her daughters changed the direction of her life.
“Capturing their milestones and everyday moments sparked a deep passion for photography.”
What began as an attempt to improve her photographs of her children developed into a much deeper interest in photographing people.
Today, portraiture is at the heart of everything she does.
Emma initially established Emma Finch Photography, concentrating on child and family portraiture, before developing Belle Privé Photography as her specialist boudoir brand.
The two businesses have given her the opportunity not only to photograph clients but also to educate and train other photographers.
Finding a niche in photography
One of Emma’s strongest messages to photographers looking to establish themselves is the importance of developing a recognisable style.
For her, that meant combining boudoir photography with the glamour and atmosphere of Old Hollywood.
“Find your style and make your work immediately recognisable.”
That might come through lighting, colour, styling, posing or the overall mood of the photographs.
The important thing, she believes, is authenticity.
When photographers create work that reflects their own vision rather than trying to reproduce what everyone else is doing, they give potential clients a reason to choose them.
Emma’s specialist approach has allowed her to attract clients from across the UK, Europe and the US.
Her experience demonstrates that being highly specialised doesn’t necessarily restrict a photography business. In the right market, it can become its greatest strength.
Why lighting is central to Emma’s photography
Emma describes herself as having a “love affair” with light, particularly studio lighting.
She began as a natural-light photographer, often working with wide apertures to separate her subjects from the background.
Over time, however, she moved increasingly towards studio photography.
The reason is control.
Studio lighting gives Emma the ability to create the precise atmosphere and consistency she wants from her images.
Her preference is for moody, cinematic lighting, which she feels is best achieved using artificial light.
Lighting isn’t simply a technical consideration in her work. It has become an important part of the Belle Privé visual identity.
The one piece of lighting equipment she wouldn’t be without
If she had to choose one piece of equipment apart from her camera, Emma’s answer is her Pixapro Octobox.
She prefers the soft quality of light produced by a large octabox and follows a simple philosophy:
The bigger the octabox, the better.
For photographers exploring studio portraiture, the lesson is perhaps more important than the specific piece of equipment. Understanding the quality, direction and control of light can have a far greater impact on an image than continually changing cameras or lenses.
Boudoir photography is about the experience
Emma doesn’t see boudoir photography simply as a way of producing attractive images.
The experience of the photoshoot itself is central to her business.
Her clients are often women looking to celebrate a significant moment in their lives. That might be a milestone birthday, a marriage or divorce, a major life change or the end of a difficult period.
For Emma, the photographs are almost secondary to the experience of being photographed.
The aim is to create an environment where clients can feel comfortable, confident and empowered.
She describes the transformation that takes place during a session as one of the most rewarding aspects of her work.
Clients may arrive looking nervous and uncertain, but leave with a completely different sense of confidence.
Changing perceptions of boudoir photography
One of Emma’s biggest professional challenges has been dealing with misconceptions about boudoir photography.
She believes the genre is often misunderstood and can be dismissed without people appreciating the skill and thought involved.
Her work is firmly centred on photographing women for women, with an emphasis on confidence and celebrating the individual.
That requires far more than simply knowing how to operate a camera.
A successful boudoir photographer needs to understand:
- Lighting
- Posing
- Composition
- How to work with different body shapes
- Flattering but realistic retouching
- Communication
- Client confidence
- Creating a safe and comfortable environment
The photographer has to understand not only how to create the image, but how to help the person in front of the camera feel confident enough for the image to work.
That combination of technical skill and interpersonal ability is one of the reasons specialist portrait photography can be so demanding.
The privacy of boudoir photography
There is also an unusual challenge associated with the genre.
Many boudoir photographs remain private and are produced exclusively for the client.
That means a photographer may create some of their best work without necessarily being able to use it publicly as part of their portfolio.
For Emma, however, that privacy is part of what makes the genre so powerful.
The photographs are ultimately for the person who commissioned them.
The impact can be deeply personal, with clients sometimes describing the experience as cathartic or emotional.
The importance of stepping outside your comfort zone
One of Emma’s most valuable career lessons came relatively late.
She describes herself as having once been a quiet and shy person who was happy to stay in the background.
Eventually, she realised that if she wanted to grow her career, she needed to put herself forward.
That meant accepting opportunities that initially felt uncomfortable, including speaking publicly about boudoir photography.
One of her proudest moments was appearing on stage at The Photography Show, speaking about boudoir photography to an audience of around 200 people.
For someone who had previously been reluctant to put her hand up, it represented a considerable personal achievement.
Her advice to other photographers is simple: don’t wait until you feel completely comfortable.
Sometimes the opportunities that feel most intimidating are the ones that lead to the greatest personal and professional growth.
What advice does Emma Finch have for aspiring photographers?
Emma’s advice is to develop a style that is genuinely your own.
Photography is a crowded industry, and simply producing technically competent images isn’t necessarily enough to make a business stand out.
Instead, photographers should think about what makes their work recognisable.
It could be:
- A distinctive approach to lighting
- A particular colour palette
- A recognisable style of posing
- A specific type of subject
- A particular mood
- A clearly defined client experience
- A combination of all of these
Emma’s own career is an example of how a clearly defined niche can become a powerful business proposition.
“When your work stands out, clients will find you, book you and even travel to you.”
Emma Finch: photography beyond the camera
What comes across strongly from Emma’s career is that her success isn’t based solely on technical photographic ability.
Lighting, posing and editing are important, but so are branding, communication, client experience and the confidence to put yourself forward.
Her transition from accountant to family photographer and then to specialist boudoir photographer also demonstrates that a photography career doesn’t have to follow a straight line.
The style and business you eventually become known for may develop over many years.
For Emma, the result has been a specialist photographic brand built around a clear visual identity and an equally clear philosophy.
Her message is straightforward: find what makes your work different, develop it and don’t be afraid to put yourself out there.
Get social with Emma Finch
Emma Finch Photography: emmafinch.com
Belle Privé Photography: belleprive.co.uk
Instagram: @belleprivephotography
Photography Session Days: @photographysessiondays
Session Days: sessiondays.co.uk
