emily gualdoni photography Archives - Page 2 of 3

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!

July 5, 2014May 30, 2014

Georgeous Bridal Photos on the 95th Floor of the Signature Room I Chicago Wedding Photographer

wedding photography at the signature room john hanock photo

I recently had the opportunity to photograph a gorgeous bridal shoot on the 95th Floor of the Signature Room located in the John Hancock building on Michigan Ave. Model, Lisa Dillon, wore beautiful and elegant designer wedding gowns as she twirled in front of the jaw dropping views of the city. I couldn’t have captured these photos without an amazing team.

Here’s a bts video from the bridal shoot at the Signature Room showing what’s involved in creating images like this.

Video: Ben Mahoney Productions

The Signature Room at the 95th

Photo: Emily Gualdoni
Makeup: Traci Fine / Fine Makeup Art
Hair: Robyn Tornabeni
Stylist: Caroline Shaw
Gowns: Dimitra’s Bridal Chicago on Rush Street
Model:Lisa Dillon with Stewart talent

Gowns:

Silk white ball gown (with the pouty veiling) Edgardo Bonilla http://www.edgardobonilla.com

3-piece lace butterfly – Yoaln Cris http://www.yolancris.com

Vintage feel all lace with deep v-back – Ersa Atelier http://www.ersaatelier.com

Strapless with asymmetric beaded detail – Rafael Cennamo http://www.rafaelcennamo.net/index.php

May 20, 2014May 30, 2014

Published in Dark Beauty Magazine | Lichtenstein’s Heroines | Chicago Fashion Photographer

emily gualdoni photographyl for dark beauty magazine photo

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