Meet Marijo Louise Badillo: Wedding & Portrait Photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Marijo Louise Badillo and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Marijo Louise, do you have a favorite quote or affirmation?
“We all die. The goal isn’t to live forever, the goal is to create something that will.” – Chuck Palahniuk I’ve loved that quote for over a decade now, so much that it was the quote I stuck on my freshman dorm room wall, and is the quote that continues to inspire me to this day. I always knew I wanted to pursue something in the arts since I was young. When I started to edit and take photographs, I did so with the head space that: 1. I had to be inspired by my work for me to fall in love with it, 2. when people look at my photos, they feel something. In a sense, that quote always made me feel wholesome and it always reminded me not settle on work that is just “okay” to me. If I continue to produce work that I love and that makes me feel, then I know that someone, somewhere, in some time, will feel it too when they see it.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
My husband and I run A+M Badillo Images, a wedding photography and videography business. Why did we start it? Simple: We love love, and we want to take people back in time to live through some of their happiest and giddiest moments in life through visual imagery. What sets us apart from others is that we value the comfort of our clients and make them feel as if there’s no camera snapping right in front of them. So if anyone is ever afraid that they’re awkward and don’t know how to pose or what to do, we got them! It’s really a worry free process and all our clients who have always been camera shy end up telling us that they had the best time! It definitely took some time to get to where we are today, and there’s still a ways to go from here. Personally, I feel that consistency is key and some thing to always remember is that this is very much a creative process, not just a business. Once I start feeling stagnant, I make sure to do some test shoots where I have full creative control to keep inspiration flowing. I also find that having a good relationship with clients helps a ton and helps me create images that are much more personal. There are too many things I’d like the world to know about our brand and our story, but I think the essence of what I want to say in just a couple sentences is, we’re here for you. We, too, have our own love story and we’d love to know yours and turn it into something you can look at years from now and remember it fondly (with some laughs, giggles, and maybe even some happy tears)!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Oh my goodness, the first thing we would do (and the main thing we will always do) is EAT! One thing LA did absolutely right is attract a bunch of people of different cultures, and therefore have lots of different cuisines to try. Our favorite brunch place is Cici’s Cafe in Tarzana. Their pancake menu alone is 7 pages and everything tastes like HEAVEN! Need more breakfast? Taiwanese breakfast is the BEST! Huge Tree Pastry in Monterey Park and Yung Ho Dou Jiang in Alhambra are the places where we get our fix. For lunch, definitely try some Venezuelan food. The first time I tried Venezuelan cuisine, it immediately shot its way up my favorites list. Chamo Venezuelan Cuisine and Amara Cafe in Pasadena are a must! For a quick bite (or comfort food after a night out), taco trucks are where it’s at! Leo’s Tacos have some amazing al pastor tacos. Italian for dinner? Osteria la Buca on Melrose. My husband and I eat there every year for our anniversary and it just makes me so freaking happy! Fun little place that we frequent every year before or after Valentine’s Day is the Tea House on Los Rios in San Juan Capistrano. We go for afternoon tea there and you’d think those little sandwiches won’t fill you up but we ALWAYS leave with a full stomach. Plus, Los Rios is such a cute area to walk around and take photos. You can take the train there and you get off right on Los Rios St! Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
First and foremost, I thank God, for with Him anything is possible. Second, my husband and family, who always continue to support me through all the good times and the hardships. Last but not least, I’d like to give a special shoutout to my photography professor, Young Kim. I was truly on an inspiration ride for every single project he introduced to us. My foundation on who I am as an artist and photographer started with his classes and it really shaped me and my confidence in my art. Everything from my thought process on what I wanted to create, to photographing content, to editing and making it exactly what I had imagined (including those that I had to completely change because of being insanely unhappy with it or thinking it through after some constructive criticism) – I owe it all to his teaching, guidance, and friendship. When I think of times that inspired me, I always go back to those times I worked on my photography projects. My favorite photographs back then continue to make me feel something to this day, all thanks to Young.

Website: www.ambadillo.com

Instagram: @ambadilloimages

Facebook: facebook.com/ambadilloimages

Image Credits
Marijo Louise S. Badillo of A+M Badillo Images