Soulla Petrou is a London-based photographer specialising in beauty, fashion and portraiture. For more than 30 years she has helped brands and talent stand out with evocative, contemporary imagery that translates client concepts into elegant, precision-crafted visuals. Her background includes over two decades in the music industry, where she created a large archive of iconic portraits and live imagery, culminating in her debut book, Rewind – Journey of a Music Photographer. Soulla is also an accomplished retoucher with 24+ years of experience on both her own work and assignments for other photographers and beauty–fashion brands, ensuring end-to-end creative control and consistency on every project.

Soulla was shortlisted for the Taylor Wessing Portrait prize in 2025 and her work was exhibited at the National Portrait Gallery. Her photography has also been acquired by the V&A for its permanent collection, with inclusion in a joint exhibition taking place this April 2026. Her music portraits earned her third place at the International Photography Awards in 2008, and she was featured in The World’s Top Photographers – Celebrity & Performance, published in 2009. Today, Soulla continues to work primarily within advertising.

What is your main field in photography?

My main field in photography is beauty, fashion and portraiture.

My practice centres on capturing clean, elegant, and expressive imagery, with a strong emphasis on facial detail, skin texture, and individual character. Working across both editorial and commercial projects, with a thoughtful approach to lighting and composition. Through portraiture, I like to explores personality and emotion, to bring depth and authenticity.

What equipment do you use?

For most beauty shoots, I work with Canon 5D Mark IV cameras paired with a 100mm macro lens, alongside a selection of other lenses, including extreme wide angles for fashion and portrait work. In the studio, I use Bowens Flash 1000 lighting, complemented by the Maxima Furiosa with a Bowens attachment ring, allowing full compatibility with my existing Bowens accessories. I also rely on the Maxima Rapida both in the studio and on location, even in challenging weather conditions.

Which Maxima products have you used?

I use the Maxima Rapida both indoors and outdoors for its waterproof lightweight design and versatility. The Furiosa delivers a powerful 80,000-lumen output with a full colour range from 2600–6800K and can also be powered outdoors using a third-party battery.

Can you tell us a little more about your preferred lighting strategy?

My preferred lighting strategy focuses on soft, controlled light that enhances natural skin texture and facial structure. I often use clean, directional lighting to sculpt the face while keeping the overall look polished and elegant, which suits my work in beauty, fashion, and portrait photography.

My lighting tends to be minimal rather than overly dramatic, allowing the subject to remain the main focus, with careful attention to highlights, shadows, and balance to create a refined, timeless aesthetic.

What are the characteristics of Maxima that you enjoyed most?

I value the versatility and precise control that Maxima LED Lighting offers. The ability to shape and soften the light allows me to create flattering illumination with real accuracy, which is essential for beauty and portrait work. In beauty and fashion photography—where skin tones and makeup details must appear natural and true to life—the consistent, accurate colour rendering is especially important to me.

After 30 years of working predominantly with flash, switching to continuous lighting has been transformative. Being able to see exactly what the light is doing in real time, makes adjustments to intensity and positioning intuitive and efficient. With Maxima LED, lighting can be adapted quickly on set, keeping the creative flow uninterrupted. Compared to flash, shooting is also much faster, as there’s no need to wait for recycle times—ensuring moments aren’t missed.

Another major difference for me is the quality of softness achievable with continuous light. It’s almost like having a ball of beautiful sunlight inside the studio. Maxima lighting also allows me to shoot both video and stills seamlessly, which is increasingly essential in today’s market where photographers are often expected to deliver both.

The Maxima Rapida’s adaptability is another key feature. It can be used outdoors with a V-mount battery and is fully waterproof,—an invaluable advantage on location. Added to this, Maxima LED lights are lightweight, portable, and easy to set up, making them practical for both studio and location work. Their energy efficiency and low heat output also improve comfort on set, particularly during longer sessions, creating a better working environment for both the subject and myself.