Today we’d like to introduce you to Kathy Badillo.
Kathy, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
My name is Kathy Badillo and I am the owner of OEM Photography. I was born and raised in Poland. At the age of 13, my family migrated to the United States, where we settled in Connecticut and I was thrown into American culture, learned English and was exposed to many new things. Years later, I made a move to Texas, where I began work-life, finished my college education and eventually met my husband. Today, I’m settled in Frisco and a mother of 3 busy kids, Olivia, Evan and Maya.
I truly didn’t get serious about my photography until I decided to be a stay at home mom and I had my third baby. After years of non-stop paparazzi sessions of my kids, I told my husband that I outgrew my point and shoot camera and wanted to upgrade the quality of my images. After realizing that just buying expensive cameras wasn’t going to get me the results I wanted, I began to educate myself about camera settings and lenses as well as a better understanding of photography in general.
As I got more confident, I would ask my friends if they would model for me so I can build my portfolio. Finally, a few years ago, I decided to make my business official and turn my passion from hobby to business. As I look back, I always had a passion for photography. Even back before digital cameras, I was the girl that always had the disposable camera in her purse. I guess it was a passion before I even realized it!
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I think any time you are starting something new, it’s never a smooth road. The biggest obstacle I faced was self-doubt. There are so many talented photographers that it’s easy to compare yourself to everyone else and doubt your ability. In the beginning, I constantly doubted myself and struggled to launch.
With time, I learned to move past it and not compare myself to someone else’s journey. I realized that I am on my own path and all I can do is be my personal best and push myself to never stop learning and growing. I eventually stepped out of my comfort zone and even started submitting some of my photography in local photo contests. I’ve been featured in a few publications and displayed in local venues and galleries like the Frisco Discovery Center art exhibit. I even got the honor of being the Mayor’s pick in the Frisco Style Magazine photography contest. That was a pretty cool experience and provided great encouragement.
OEM Photography – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
My business has taken a little bit of an evolution. What started out as just pictures of friends, headshots and the occasional wedding has turned into me gravitating towards families. Everything from family portraits and candids to Seniors to grade school sessions.
As a mom, I’ve always enjoyed taking pictures of my own family, especially on vacation, where I can capture a lot of candid shots and I think that has translated to my business. I’m also mostly a natural light on-location photographer and enjoy capturing images outdoors. Though most of my clientele has been in Frisco, I enjoy finding new places and venturing out to unique locations. Parks, bluebonnets, city squares and landmarks are all typical locations, but one of my favorite new seasonal places has been the sunflower fields in Whitewright, TX.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
What I’m most proud of has been my continual progress as a photographer. In this business, you can be your own worst critic, but the consistently positive customer feedback has given me the confidence to continue to grow my business.
Ultimately, my clients get a very patient photographer that wants to make sure the best moments are captured and gives a little extra to make sure they are. Depending on a session, I can easily pose my clients or pivot to more relaxed sate and capture more candid shots. I take pride in being patient during the session so my clients don’t feel rushed or uncomfortable. I try to make my session fun while capturing those everlasting moments.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.oemphotography.com
- Phone: 817-874-9541
- Email: kathy@oemphotography.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oemphoto
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OEMPhotography
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