{ Start Here }
Hey there! I’m Kathy Tran, a photographer and creative based in Dallas, Texas. I’m the heart behind @kathytran.creatives and @kesslerstudios where I pour my passion into capturing life’s stories—whether it’s through my lens or the experiences I create for others. 📸✨
I’ve always been about living authentically, and I’m here to inspire others to do the same, whether through my personal journey or the brands and people I work with. Let’s connect, collaborate, and bring some magic to life together.
🥊 Personal Brand @kathytranx
✨Creative team @kathytran.creatives
🍔 Foodie account @kathytran.eats
📸 Photo studio @kesslerstudios
💍 Love account @kathytran.love
🐕 Pup account @kokokessler
🌍
📺 /@kathytranx
{ New Vibes, Same Journey }
✨official announcement✨
I’m super excited to start focusing more on my personal content. It feels like the perfect time to show up as my best self. Each day, I’m getting closer to finding the best way to express who I am and I’m so grateful to everyone who’s been supporting me—both personally and professionally.
With that said, I want to let everyone know that if we connected through a professional setting and you’re not as interested in my personal journey (which I totally get—I’m not everyone’s flavor!), feel free to follow me over at @kathytran.creatives , where I’ll be keeping things more business-focused.
{ Unfortunately, I do like.. } I’ve been wanting to do this trend for a while, but instead of a quick reel, I turned it into a carousel 🖤
A reminder that you can be intentional and imperfect at the same time.
What’s your ‘unfortunately, I do like…’ thing?
to any new followers let’s get one thing straight-
if you racist, homophobic, transphobic, or out here participating in any form of bigotry this might not be the band for you babes.
Thank you for your attention to this matter. 😂
🎥: @kathytranx
{ Development }
Hosted one of @dfwjunkjournalclub meetups at @kesslerstudios last week and our theme was: Development 📸
We spent the evening collaging, sharing stories, and being around other people who understand the comfort of making things with your hands
If you didn’t know, collage was actually my first form of art before photography. Coming back to it as an adult feels very full circle. My life kept getting bigger and louder, and eventually I realized I needed a place for all the fragments to go. Collage became one of the few ways I can actually metabolize my experiences instead of just carrying them.
Honestly, this was also my first time ever sitting beside other people who collage. It felt weirdly emotional to realize something that has quietly lived inside me for years also lives inside other people too.
- @kathytranx (first image is mine!)
Huge thank you to @ube_addict for making it extra special with the matcha drinks 💚
Our next meetup will be in August. Theme: Peacock 🦚
An ode to our unofficial neighborhood pet that keeps blessing us with appearances around Kessler Park.
If you want to join the next one, send me a DM ✂️📓
{ April: Identity }
I stopped tracking time. ⏳
I started tracking who was running my day. 👁️
30 days. Real time.
Builder expands. 🛠️
Operator stabilizes. ⚙️
Creative gets pushed. 🎬
Human absorbs. ❤️
Not four modes.
One cycle. 🔁
I thought I needed balance.
I needed sequencing.
Human was highest
but it wasn’t for me
it was for life happening around me.
The percentages aren’t targets.
They’re evidence.
I don’t lack discipline.
I run in cycles.
—
Continuing to track my modes for three months total to understand the weekly pattern outside of a heavy life month like April.
May is regulation.
Closing the gaps.
{ the bride wore thrift }
Three years ago I spent $1,600 on a custom dress for our engagement party. (last slide is the dress)
this year I found a white suit at 2nd street between photoshoots.. 20 minutes to kill, tried it on in that fitting room (second to last slide), pants fit perfectly. $32 for the whole set. cropped the top. that was it.
vintage belt from a murder mystery party. pendant and tassel from our first Round Top last month. corset gifted by Vivian at my bachelorette. feather clip from Ashley.
I mentioned once that I wanted a bouquet purse. Daniel remembered. Ashley helped him make it happen. I love how it turned out.
🤍both felt right. both were me.
📸 @severus_snapshot@kesslerstudios
{ three year engagement }
We’ve gotten a lot of “wait, aren’t you already married?” and the honest answer is: it’s complicated.
In 2023 we rushed our engagement and planned a whole at-home wedding because my dad was nearing the end of his life. He passed a month before. With plans already in place and grief very much present, we renamed it an engagement party and let ourselves just be in it.
We had a venue booked for 2024, but the timing didn’t feel right, a lot of family couldn’t make it, so we turned it into an immediate family + joint bach weekend at a 40 person cabin, which was actually really fun and maybe exactly what we needed.
and then we paused.
Not on us. on the wedding. because we wanted to do the internal work first.. to show up as our best selves before making that commitment in front of people. For 18 months we worked really hard. Daniel lost 60 lbs. i lost about 15. We untangled our relationship from our business, which had been one long hustle from the beginning. We had to figure out who we were when we weren’t building something together.
Turns out we still really like each other. 😉
Because what’s the dream home and the dream studio if love isn’t the biggest thing living inside it.
When the day finally came it felt obvious. Courthouse ceremony with immediate family - small intimate reception at our house right after with childhood friends, besties and close neighbors. The least stressful thing we’ve ever put together, which says a lot.
It felt like us. Finally, just us. This is how I want to remember it.
📸 @ashgphoto@severus_snapshot
💄 @leveluplana@laura_oliver_dallas
🌹 @ashgongora
🎈 @partygeenius
🎶 @fakeinternetpersona
Ten years in, Kathy and I made it official. Courthouse with immediate family, then home for a small reception with a few close friends and neighbors. We kept it quiet on purpose, so if you’re just hearing about it, no hard feelings intended. We just wanted it small and chill. Thanks for being part of the three year engagement journey. Here’s to the next chapter.
📸 @severus_snapshot
💄 @leveluplana@laura_oliver_dallas
Featured by @dallasobserver Music Safari at @kesslerstudios continues to grow as one of Dallas’ most unique live music experiences.
From front lawns to a full community movement, it’s all about discovering artists, supporting local culture, and creating real connections.
Happening tomorrow, April 18th.
Written by @alexgwriter
RSVP now on the Musicade app to get your tickets
{ Why do I do it? }
It’s that time of year again. Music Safari, our free neighborhood festival, is back, and it carries all of my sweat, blood, and tears along with a dozen other people who help bring this to life. @kesslerstudios
Thank you to my partners, team, and volunteers who make this happen.
But most importantly, thank you to the community that keeps showing up again and again. Your support, your energy, and your presence mean everything to me. I never take it for granted.
And thank you to the @dallasobserver , and to @alexgwriter for taking the time to write and highlight what we’re building here.
Hope to see you all out there on April 18th. @musicadeapp
