Elina Simonen

Elina Simonen (1975) is a fashion and portrait photographer living and working in Helsinki and London.

Elina studied photography at London’s Kent Institute of Art and Design. Since graduating in 2001, Simonen has made a career in advertising, fashion, portrait and editorial photography – first in London and ultimately in Helsinki.

After receiving her Bachelor of Arts, Simonen worked in London as an assistant to Jenny van Sommers and Ulla Nyman. Her own clients included The Sunday Times Magazine, The Independent, and Cosmopolitan. In 2000, Simonen was named by Marie Claire as one of the most talented young photographers in Britain.

Since moving back to Finland in 2006, Simonen has done advertising, fashion and portrait photography for Olivia, Trendi, and numerous other Finnish fashion and lifestyle publications.

Simonen’s strengths include her almost cinematic use of natural light, her creative use of flash and studio lights, and her incorporation of the surroundings into her photographs. Simonen’s portraits reflect her innate talent, her ten years of international experience, and her amazing ability to connect with her subjects throughout the entire process.

Simonen’s photographs reveal her passion for fleeting moments and the challenges they pose. Her goal is to explore every aspect of the intimate moments she captures. And just like the seconds that make up her subjects’ lives, no two shots are ever the same.

In addition to her work, Simonen explores her creativity and vision through various exhibitions and artistic projects. She is one of the founders and editors of the London-based photography magazine, Falter. Since 2008 she has been working on an experimental project called Void, which explores the use of various reflective lighting techniques.