MEET THE ARTISTS:
Heidi's Bridge
WHERE DID YOU GROW UP:
Erick: Long Island! Land of the bagels, home of the strip malls.
Emily: Pennsylvania by way of Syracuse, NY.
WHEN DID YOU FIRST BECOME INTERESTED IN PHOTOGRAPHY/STYLING:
Erick: My dad is a photographer so I essentially grew up in a studio. Some of my first memories are pushing a broom around and screaming inside the darkroom when the safety lights went out. I completely idolized my dad as a kid so I guess it makes sense that I ended up here.
Emily: In college, I thought I wanted to be an event planner, which was puzzling because I’m not a super organized person. Once I realized out it was the event design I was actually drawn to, it just clicked! Event design led me to crafting, then ultimately props.
WHAT INSPIRES YOU:
Erick: I take a lot of my inspiration from watching old films. I have a collection of screengrabs to reference later and hone in on what inspires me- whether it be lighting, the framing etc.
Emily: Trolling around eBay and auction sites! I love falling down that rabbit hole and learning about a new design movement, discovering obscure artists from the 70s, and learning from the knowledgeable members of the antique community.
DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE IMAGE THAT YOU'VE TAKEN/STYLED:
Erick: I really enjoyed the collaborative process of shooting the Kin Euphorics Dream Light Campaign. Knowing that the image-making process was just the first step in creating the end result was a unique way of working.
Emily: I think my set design for Phasey, because I had an emotional connection with the product and was actually annoyed that a lot of other menstrual products on the market had such a sterilized, tech-y aesthetic that I felt kind of minimized this shared experience. So it kind of lit a fire under me and I enjoyed seeing it through, from concept to actualizing it on set.
WHAT ARE ONE OR TWO OF YOUR FAVORITE MOMENTS FROM PAST SHOOTS:
Erick: Shooting during Covid brings me back to when Emily and I were first getting started, just the two of us messing around trying to figure out what the heck we were doing.
Emily: Last fall, we flew to Colorado for a magazine shoot and our flight was delayed, so we drove all night in the pitch black, winding mountain roads to the rural town where we were shooting. I'll never forget waking up at sunrise in the abandoned mining town and seeing the mountains for the first time. I was so awestruck and felt really at peace.
IF YOU WEREN'T A PHOTOGRAPHER/STYLIST WHAT WOULD YOU BE DOING INSTEAD:
Erick: I'd open a bakery
Emily: I'd move to the country and have a micro-farm with some sort of slow-food business, maybe an antiques barn!
WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE HISTORICAL FIGURE:
Erick: Louis XIV but only because he ate an entire roast chicken in bed before going to sleep, EVERYNIGHT.
Emily: Dorthea Lange because she broke down barriers for women in the industry and affected social change through her work.
WHAT SONG GETS STUCK IN YOUR HEAD MOST OFTEN:
Erick: Changes every few months but currently Safety Net by Nilufer Yanya
Emily: Tennessee Homesick Blues by Dolly <3
WHAT IS YOUR SPIRIT ANIMAL:
Joint: Our pittie, Lu. We love her down-for-anything attitude and love taking her everywhere as our third wheel - she just gets us!!
IF YOU COULD ONLY EAT ONE FOOD FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE, WHAT WOULD IT BE:
Erick: My mom's eggplant parm
Emily: banana bread
WHAT IS THE ONE ITEM OF CLOTHING THAT YOU WEAR MOST OFTEN:
Erick: my annual “comfy shirt” that I wear so often that it usually degrades after a year or so.
Emily: My supersoft, vintage "Garage Sales Make Life Worth Living" tee.
WHAT WOULD THE TITLE OF YOUR AUTOBIOGRAPHY BE:
Erick: "here for a long time, not a good time.”
Emily: Thanks, It's Vintage!
WHAT IS THE HARDEST THING YOU'VE Ever Done:
Erick: Reinventing our business over the course of a few years to get us to where we are today.
Emily: A four-month stint of starting a mobile food business right out of college, with no money.
WHEN'S THE LAST TIME YOU LAUGHED SO HARD IT HURT:
Erick: We just rediscovered some of our first blog posts from 2012 and couldn't breathe.
Emily: I recently googled "mens wigs" and lost it. I was literally on the floor and sent it to everyone I knew immediately.
WHAT IS YOUR SECRET TALENT:
Erick: Making French omelets for Emily on the weekend
Emily: sourcing everything I need from the hardware store without asking for help.
WHAT IS YOUR GO-TO DANCE MOVE:
Erick: Flossing
Emily: The Elaine Benes
WHAT IS THE STRANGEST THING IN YOUR REFRIGERATOR:
Erick: 120 film from my grandparent's house that I'm too attached to open
Emily: kombucha scobys
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE WAY TO UNWIND AFTER A BUSY DAY:
Erick: Pet our dog and watch Seinfeld reruns
Emily: I love to come home to our shared yard and pull some weeds. It really grounds me and helps me to connect to what's important.
WHAT IS THE ONE THING YOU MISS THE MOST DURING THE “STAY AT HOME” ORDER?
Erick: Crossword puzzles at the Gertie
Emily: Rubbing elbows with fellow New Yorkers over hot coffee, latkes, and eggs on a Saturday morning at a snug Barney Greengrass table. I suppose those days are over for a while!
