Emily Gualdoni, Author at Emily Gualdoni Photography

April 2, 2018

How to prepare for a boudoir photo shoot

I know boudoir can seem intimidating the first time around, but there’s no reason to worry. Here are some helpful tips on how to prepare for your boudoir photo shoot.

It is important to go into your shoot with a positive and confident mindset. Practice looking at yourself in front of the mirror in your lingerie outfits. Remind yourself that you are beautiful. Sure, you’ll be posing in front of me, a complete stranger, but I can assure that I’ll make you feel like we’ve known each other forever. I’ll be there to guide and encourage you every step of the way.

Boudoir will capture all of your amazing qualities, both inside and out. So, it is important that you prepare for your shoot both mentally and physically. Here are some skincare tips I wanted to share before you step in front of the camera. One of the most important things I tell my clients is to stay hydrated in any way you can! Give your skin some love by drinking plenty of water and exfoliating. Doing so will make your skin glowy and radiant the day of the shoot.

Some products I recommend are: (Just click directly on the products to view where you can purchase them.)
Mario Badescu Facial Spray with Aloe Cucumber And Green Tea
Biobelle Sheet Mask
Deep Cleansing Pore Strips
Elf Lip Exfoliator
The Body Shop Drops of Youth Liquid Peel
The Body Shop Coconut Exfoliating Cream Body Scrub

Here are some images from my photo shoot with beautiful Victoria taken at my studio in downtown Chicago.

Blog post edited by Xavy Perez

March 26, 2018March 26, 2018

How to feel sexy every day

chicago boudoir photography of noel by emily gualdoni photography

When you look good, you feel good. Learning to be comfortable and confident in your skin is a process of self-love and empowerment. From mentally to physically, it’s important to know how much of a gem you really are. Below are some tips I have come up with to help you feel sexy and secure in your beauty.

Dress to impress
Spend every day as if you were dressing to impress that really good-looking stranger you passed on the street the other day. Spend a little extra time pampering yourself in the morning. You deserve it. Wear that low-cut v neck that shows just the right amount of cleavage. Own your look.

Treat Yourself
Everyone deserves a little pampering. Learning to love yourself and your skin requires that you treat and care for yourself in any way you can. Try doing a homemade facial and giving yourself a spa day. You could even go to an actual spa and get it done! Show yourself that you are worth the special treatment.

Find your Staple
Find that one thing that really empowers you and makes you feel luxurious. Whether it be your favorite lipstick shade or those elegant pearl earrings, find your staple and work it. Find that one thing that gives you a little extra oomph no matter what you’re wearing so you’ll always feel like you’re working it.

Reflection
One thing I find extremely helpful in finding comfort in how you look is being able to look at yourself in the mirror and feel empowered rather than ashamed or shy. Take a moment before you step into your shower to admire yourself in the mirror. Appreciate the curves you might have or slimness of your frame. Love the stretch and beauty marks imprinted on your skin. Adore the scars and imperfections. Find that fondness for yourself wholly bare and watch how your opinion of yourself blossoms.

Secretly Sexy
Go out and buy yourself some sexy lingerie to wear under your daily outfits. Even if you know, you won’t be showing it off to anyone tonight, just having that little sexy secret will leave you feeling strong and confident. Then when you are ready to reveal your seductive mystique, you’ll have no doubts about how great you look in that little silk slip or ruffled corset.

Below are images of my beautiful client who would like to remain anonymous. She booked a shoot to create an album to give to her husband as well as a gift to herself so she could look back on and remember what she looked like at this point and time. Talented makeup artist, Iza Maka did her makeup and hair.

Blog post edited by Xavy Perez.

December 19, 2017December 19, 2019

Chicago boudoir photography – An empowering experience

What can I say, I’m a girl who loves boudoir and good lighting. Recently, I have been shooting more and more boudoir photographs with some fantastic women. I have found that boudoir photography not only gives these lovely ladies a gift for their significant other but an uplifting and empowering experience. Promoting body positivity, these photos leave ladies head over heels in love with who they are and how they look. Boudoir Photography is an experience like no other that every woman should treat themselves to.

In early October, I did a fun and quirky shoot with college student Xavy Perez. Xavy is a blogger here in Chicago who was looking to shoot some photos that would embody her blog statement about self-love and body positivity. She told me that she came across my website on Yelp and absolutely fell in love. As Xavy would put it, it was a time filled with love, laughter, and lingerie. Here’s Xavy’s blog, http://www.healthfashionfitness.com/.

“I am blown away by the work Emily has done and how my photos turned out! She truly captured and brought every vision I had to life. I can’t wait to share these with my viewers and show how great it can be when you indulge in yourself!” – Xavy Perez

Here’s a fun behind the scenes video that I created from the shoot.
Makeup and hair by the talented Iza Maka ( http://www.izamaka.com/ )

Behind the Scenes of an Emily Gualdoni Photography Boudoir Photoshoot from Emily Gualdoni on Vimeo.

November 24, 2014November 24, 2014

Beach Wedding In Santa Monica | Christina + Anouh | Destination Wedding Photographer

Early this November I did a beach wedding in Santa Monica, a complete dream come true. California gave us a beautiful day to celebrate Christina and Anouh’s wedding. Get a glimpse of the event with this Video Montage.

Christina and Anouh have incredible chemistry. You only need to take a quick glance at them to know they’re utterly and unbelievably in love. It helped that I knew a lot about them as Christina and I are actually old childhood friends. I hadn’t seen her in 10 years until her wedding, and it was a a really fun way to have a small reunion. Several of our other grade school friends were there as well. It was so nice to see everyone! You can see an image of us all the way at the end of this blog post.

They rented a house to get ready in (and for the couple to stay in of course) to give us a nice homey start to the day. When we made our way over to the venue, Annenberg Community Beach House providing us a gorgeous backdrop for such a meaningful affair. The sun shone down on a stunning porch ceremony followed by a reception in the Beach House. As great as the location was, nothing could compare to the atmosphere created by the couple and their families and friends. They were an incredibly welcoming group with a ton of energy, you could feel the love in the air!

I couldn’t be happier for Christina and Anouh, they deserve the best and I think they got it on their special day. Please scroll down to see some of the images from their beautiful California wedding, or go back to the top of this blog post to see even more images wrapped into a video.

Thanks Vanessa Knapp for second shooting and doing a wonderful job!

Here were are! 6 old friends from grammar school days.

Of course we had to rent a convertible when we were out in California. (That’s the only way to do it) Having the car allowed us to really explore the area. Without any set plans, Vanessa and I ventured over to Venice Beach, Santa Monica, the Hollywood sign, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Mulholland Drive and even took the convertible down to San Diego for a day. We created memories that I will never forget. Below are some quick snapshots that I took with my Iphone.

Here’s me in our hot ride (mustang convertible) . . . .

Amazing views at sunset on Mulholland Drive

Our hotel was in Venice Beach and the first day we took a walk along the boardwalk and pier. This shot took took me several attempts of sneaking up on random seagulls and trying to capture the perfect moment of them taking off. It was a pretty funny sight to see.

Watching these surfers in Venice Beach was quite inspiring and makes me really want to try it sometime. When I took this photo of people enjoying the sunshine, it was snowing for the first time back in Chicago.

Here is Vanessa and I at Venice Beach. She was my second photographer for the trip as well as a good friend of mine.

We spent a day in Hollywood and checked out the sign as well as randomly finding this observatory that overlooked the whole city.

Vanessa and I both had never been to San Diego but have heard wonderful things so we spent an entire day driving south and experiencing it for ourselves. With the help of my friends from social media, we checked out all the places that they suggested and loved it.

The last day we were in California we rented a tandem bike and rode it along the Venice Beach boardwalk down to the Santa Monica Pier. We only wiped out once. . maybe 🙂

As I am typing this, it’s 30 degrees and snowing in Chicago. Can I go back to this happy place, please???

November 14, 2014November 14, 2014

Beautiful Fall Wedding | Melissa + Josh | Chicago Wedding Photography

fall wedding photography at mickey finns in libertyville photo

I had the pleasure of shooting a beautiful fall wedding with a brewery reception at Mickey Finn’s. Melissa and Josh are parents and have a lot of responsiblity taking care of their son but that didn’t stop them from hosting an incredibly laid back, lively, and exiting event. From the very beginning of the ceremony the tone was set as effortlessly elegant, and that vibe carried on all night to create a really lovely evening.
Melissa and Josh met during their first year at the University of Toledo. As their love grew, so did their family. Both are lovers of art and love to relax with some wine and craft beer. Their family started with their dog, Oliver, and if you ask any of their close friends they will call Oliver Melissa and Josh’s first child. Harrison entered the picture less than a year before the wedding, and they have all been the perfect example of a happy, responsible, and even outgoing family since. They surrounded by an incredibly close and supportive group of family and friends. One of the highlights for the wedding for me as a photographer was to be trusted with the task of including everyone in attendance at the reception in one photo. The shot was really important to them, and I was happy to oblige, standing on the bar to make sure I could get the whole room in the frame.

I was also really excited to learn about the sentimental jewelry involved in the celebration. Melissa’s pearls were once her grandmother’s and every woman in her family has worth them for their weddings. Josh’s ring was also his father’s. It no longer fit him, so he was excited to pass it down a generation to Josh.

There wasn’t a single person in attendance who didn’t enjoy themselves, and I think it’s obvious in all of the photos. Infectious smiles were everywhere. (With the exception of people making jokes about missing the season premier of the, “The Walking Dead” to be at the wedding. It was ironic because it’s the couple’s favorite television series. Take a look below for a selection of pictures from the event.

Thanks Kaitlyn Polles for second shooting!