“I live by the Golden Rule and the ‘good, better, best’ mindset: ‘Never let it rest until your good is better and your better is best,’”1 shares Katherin Frankovic of KDE Photography Inc. Since 2008, KDE Photography Inc. has been providing Chicagoland real estate agents with professional and affordable photography and videography services: exceptional listing photography, personal marketing photos, event coverage, and more.

With an interest in art and photography since she was very young, Katherin became more serious about pursuing an art-related career in high school. While attending Columbia College Chicago, she was drawn to photojournalism through Professor John H. White, a Chicago Sun Times photographer, Pulitzer Prize winner, and source of Katherin’s “good, better, best” mindset. After graduation, Katherin completed a few internships at local newspapers until landing the gig of track photographer at Hawthorne Race Course.

“It was a perfect opportunity,” says Katherin. “My family was always involved with horses when I was growing up, so they have always been a part of my life in some way. My work even won the photography contract for the then Arlington International Racecourse for the photography company I was working for at the time.”

These jobs led to more work in racing and other areas of the equestrian world. Katherin covered the FEI World Equestrian Games, the Kentucky Three-Day Event (then known as the Rolex 4* Three-Day Event), and other local, national, and international competitions. She even started an equestrian-focused photography company called Equipix to offer her services and sell her photos.

“I was very successful, but the hours that work required did not coincide with starting a family, so I started to look for a change,” says Katherin. “I took on the role of marketing coordinator for RE/MAX Professionals Select and began to offer my photography services to REALTORSⓇ for listing photos. My business emerged from there.”

Katherin’s subject matter may be different now, but her clients highly value how her deft skills and eye for detail, which made her such a successful equine photographer, produce standout real estate photos and video.

 

“I have very high standards, and I take a lot of pride in delivering quality work,” states Katherin. “I continue to use the ethics that I learned from John H. White every day to create not only beautiful, but also honest photos that tell the story of a home.”

Over the years, her business has evolved as she’s embraced the changes in market and customer expectations. For example, Katherin readily adopted aerial photography—even adding “professional drone pilot” to her repertoire—and video into her work and offerings. 

“The shift to video really happened during the COVID pandemic, as agents were not able to show homes in person,” she explains. “Since then, video has become essential to almost all listings.”

Katherin has also developed a traveling photo studio for on location photo sessions. “I don’t just take photos, I also teach you how to position yourself for better photos and find your best angles,” she says. 

KDE Photography’s services also include tailored photography and personal marketing consultations because Katherin knows that building a personal brand is a key factor in the success of today’s agents. 

“I specialize in personalized service and will tailor my services to meet my clients' specific needs,” she emphasizes.

When she steps out from behind the camera, Katherin spends most of her downtime with her husband of sixteen years, Michael, and their two children, Evan (13) and Avery (10). They frequently go camping in their RV and find other reasons to be outdoors, like hiking and biking, and Katherin has a particular love for gardening. She can still talk about horses all day and enjoys trail rides on the family horse, Takoda. 

Katherin finds as much joy in her work in real estate as she did in the equestrian world. “I thoroughly enjoy helping my REALTORⓇ partners sell houses through my photography,” she says. “It’s very gratifying to hear when they have received compliments on their listing or gained a new client because of my work.”

1 Quote is attributed to St. Jerome.