By Nick Christophers
Ekaterini (Katie Kay) Koufalis is a one of a kind artist who has paved her way to bigger things. Katie, as she is known did not realize her inner talent until she was close to her teens. She comes from a bloodline of talented family members; her father was a singer as is her brother, her grandmother is a seamstress and her mother does amazing needlepoint work. It is no wonder that the artistic bug would surface eventually.
Her first experience with a camera was with her Uncle while she was in Greece. He basically got her interested in the art of photography at about 5 years old. Her Uncle let he fiddle with his camcorder and her curiosity grew from there. Yet her real interest in the arts derived from her mother and grandmother who are both artistic in their own way.
“My grandmother was a seamstress and designed dresses for the women in her town of Kefalonia and would do the same when she came to New York.”
Eventually Katie found her home in the arts with photography and was soon clicking her way into a wider range of ideas. She found it in photography which became not only an artistic part of her life but also an emotional outlet. Katie became a victim of a tragic loss coupled with sexual abuse which only fueled her desire to express her deep thoughts through the camera. She went from a disposable camera to the upgraded DSLR. Katie would enroll and complete a degree at Iona College and took up a course in photography and soon took that knowledge to different level.
During her College years she worked as a club photographer thanks to a promoter who recognized her talent. She would snap photos at such hot spots like Copa Cabana, Silhouette, Cliff NY, and more. This would lead to her being hired as a freelance photographer with such magazines like BossCodeMagazine, The Weekend Magazine, Innervibrations Magazine, BossedupMagazine etc.
“I was at a club for my 21st birthday and noticed that the girl taking pictures was not on point. I suggested a few things and the promoter who was my friend asked if I would like to be a club photographer. I agreed and for six years I was working for Cesar Cabrera entertainment then GQE Live.”
Her talent reaches even further than just the camera. She also has her own podcast first with WVMR than with Rockview radio. The show airs every other Monday night. It is designed to showcase artists and a way to promote themselves. As of November 2019, it will be two years she has it running. In between the camera and the podcast, she also is on her way to completing a Masters at the Southern New Hampshire University majoring in Public Relations and Branding.
On top of all that she has created her own brand Katie Kay Photography. She has also put her energy into philanthropic work as she started a foundation for the rare disease Sarcoma. While she was attending Iona College a good friend of hers was diagnosed with the disease and unfortunately passed on. Her friend Sean was an individual who was full of life and a very passionate person towards others. This tragedy moved Katie to take action and she so began a foundation in his honor. She held a charity event in 2018 which managed to garner close to $2000. Her goal at this year’s event is $5000. The event featured indie artists like Nikki Owens who Katie manages. Katie is on a mission to do whatever she can to not only raise herself up but others as well.
