brittany bindrim Archives - Emily Gualdoni Photography

I recently had the opportunity to work with one of my oldest and best friends, Brittany on a collaborative project which was published in Dark Beauty Magazine. Brittany Bindrim is an extremely talented illustrator, together we wanted to make photographs using her drawings in a way where the two art mediums collided and became one. I absolutely loved how this creative fashion photoshoot turned out. We wanted to bring illustration to life while introducing a surreal imagination and dreamlike graphical fantasy to the reality of photography. The title came from the inspiration, the post-war sexist romance cartoons that Lichtenstein ironically used in his work. Drowning Girl, in particular, had the most influence. The talented models with the help of the creative team swim out of the tide to display a strong presence and feminine dominance throughout the images.

The day of the shoot was a long and busy one. Luckily, our team was on point all day and the final outcome really reflects the hard work that went into the shoot. There was a lot of testing involved, both for lighting and clothing. Brittany and I chose to be very selective with the clothing in order to make sure our models fit the theme, and the lighting had to be consistent no matter what the model was doing, just like in a drawing. There were a lot of adjustments made throughout the shoot, but each tweak was worth it.

The Defibrillator Gallery in Wicker Park included Lichtenstein’s Heroines in their Personal Project show. Brittany and I had decided to enter it before the series was even completed. We thought our combined passions joining into one work was a great match for the theme of the show. It was a roaring success! The place was packed, and we dominated an entire wall. We received countless compliments on the series that night, and almost the entire team came to see the finished installation. We all worked so hard on this, it was wonderful to celebrate its completion together in such a fun way (fueled by gallery wine of course).

Keep scrolling to see the images from Lichtenstein’s Heroines.

Title: Lichtenstein’s Heroines
Photography: Emily Gualdoni
Mural/Set: Brittany Bindrim
Art Direction: Emily Gualdoni & Brittany Bindrim
Makeup: Loni Hale
Hair: Liza Espinoza Achurra
Wardrobe Styling: Caitlin Eucker
Models: Juni Park, Selena, & Clara Rae
Photographer assistant – Kaitlyn Hope Polles

Brittany (the illustrator) and I at the Defibrillator Gallery

ransporting the mural to my studio was quite the challenge. We had to be so careful not rip or wrinkle it.

BTS from the day of the shoot. Photos taken by Kaitlyn Polles.

The full editorial that was published dark beauty magazine.

This was my first time photographing in the famous abandoned church in Gary Indiana. One of my oldest friends, Brittany Bindrim got married! As I was part of the wedding, our friend Kirsten Miccoli shot the event. My wedding gift to her and her husband Jim was this incredible “trash the dress” session. Its always nice to add on to your wedding photos, and you have that opportunity to do that with a trash the dress shoot. Not only is it more fashion-photo based and focused solely on the couple, but you don’t have to worry about ruining your dress the whole time. Honestly, when are you going to wear that thing again? You’ll keep it forever of course, but its fun to go out into the world and fearlessly model it for an interesting set of photographs. Brittany’s dress was a great find. She found it at Laurel Bridal, a premier Chicago wedding boutique. As an artist herself, she chose one that really stood out, and not only was it a gorgeous addition to her gorgeous wedding by the dress’ black accents made it perfect for her trash the dress shoot in the somewhat gritty setting we chose that embodies the term “urban decay”.

The way Brittany and Jim met will always be a fun story. They both went to college at U of I, when Jim’s band Iscintilla was looking for a singer, that was the first place he started his search. Brittany found out about it and went to audition where they met for the first time. She made it into the band, and they are still both in it today. It’s played a big role in their lives, and the proof can be found through the tattoo on Brittany’s shoulder. It’s the band’s logo, and every member if Iscintilla has it. Brittany’s creative drive doesn’t stop there though, she is an independent illustrator and designer under her company; Black Dove Design Company.

While her actual wedding was held at the Zhou B Art Center, the church we held the shoot in is called the City Methodist church in Gary, Indiana. Its an abandoned church, originally built in the 20s. Its become an increasingly popular spot over the last few years for photographers and urban explorers alike. I found the setting to be an incredible spot, with a stage, debris, crazy stairs, and blown out windows, it was a sight to behold. That church gave me more than photographs too. That day I found a kitten wandering around, clearly alone. I ended up taking her home and adopting her! That kitten has grown into being my cat, Amelia. She is a total sweetheart and so curious about everything in the world. One of her favorite things to do is sit on the desk while I edit and watch the mouse move and make changes. I thought she might outgrow that, but continues to try and get between the screen and I all the time.

Here is the beautiful main room of the City Methodist abandoned church in Gary Indiana. This church is really a photographer’s dream, so many interesting views and rooms to capture.