Meet Kate Mills | Photographer & Owner of Chasing Daylight Photography

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kate Mills and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kate, we’d love for you to start things off by telling us something about your industry that we and others not in the industry might be unaware of?
I think people would be surprised to know how little time is actually spent behind the camera compared to the time spent in front of the computer! Once our shoot is over, the real work begins- sorting through sometimes over 1,000 images, selecting the best of the best, and then editing each one to perfection. The behind-the-scenes time in front of the computer far outweighs the time spent behind the lens!

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
It took me a really long time to find a consistent style I love. Sometimes it can be really tempting to follow the current trends in photography, especially when first starting out, but at the end of the day, timeless images are more important. And trust me, I learned that the hard way! After playing around with trend after trend, I discovered that all I really needed was connection between my clients. Once you stop worrying about keeping up with trends, your real style & what’s really important to you will stick out.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I mean, every friend who has ever visited me has just requested one thing- authentic, amazing tacos. So we’d probably start at Tacos El Gordo, followed by Taquería Revolución, and maybe ending at City Tacos or Las Cuatro Milpas. Once they’ve eaten their body weight in tacos, we might catch a Padres game or walk around the zoo. If they have kids, the New Children’s Museum is a must, as well as the park next to it! I also LOVE taking visitors on the Coronado Ferry over the Waterfront for some lunch, ice cream, and a walk past the Midway and into Seaport Village.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I co-admin a private Facebook group just for female photographers in San Diego, and it’s been a huge part of my journey. It’s been around for over a decade now, and before we started it, I really missed having co-workers- people to laugh with on the good days and vent with on the tough ones. This group has filled that gap and then some. It’s been a place for sharing referrals, technical tips, and support, but more importantly, the women in it have become real friends. It’s like having a team, even when you work solo.

Website: https://www.chasingdaylightphoto.com

Instagram: https://instagram.com/chasingdaylightphoto

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ichasedaylight

Facebook: https://facebook.com/chasingdaylightphoto

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/chasing-daylight-photography-san-diego