Women in Photography: Chey Millz

I first heard the name Chey while listening to episodes of the podcast Guys Next Door and then started following her Insta page and was very impressed with her work that I had to connect! Had the great pleasure to chop it up with Chey on a humid Sunday afternoon at Tompkins Park about her start , aesthetic and advice for fellow women photographers! Below is the Q& A with this smart, talented, and driven fellow Scorpio!

Give me a little bit of background with respect to photography training, years in the field and camera of choice.

Chey Millz: As far as training, I have none; I originally went to school for fashion design and part of our program was shooting our own portfolios, but even before that I was given my first camera in high school. I secretly would bring it out and take pictures but I never took pictures of people before moving to New York - that’s when I really fell into it. My choice of camera for right now is the Canon 6D though she is on her last leg and she needs to be switched out very soon (laughs). I just haven’t decided which way I’m going to go for my next one.

How would you describe your aesthetic and what are you trying to capture and work toward as you build your portfolio of work?

CM: I think about this question often. As far as my aesthetic, I like to think it’s on the clean but natural side. I don't like that overly glam face, let me make a person look flawless; I edit in a way where you look at it and can say, “Hmm, that could be just how she shot it, but it looks really really clean!” My focus has always been skin textures; I want it to look as natural as possible, and especially primarily shooting Black skin, showing the different tones and how there are gold undertones and just overall that level of melanin is beautiful at any angle, any look just highlighting that for me.

What has been your biggest win this year and conversely, what has been your biggest lesson?

CM: My biggest win is probably falling in with, I jokingly call them my work husbands, the podcast Guys From Next Door! I have been handling most of their visual content minus video. The second thing that we were ever invited to was The Roots Picnic. They didn’t tell me this was going to happen but they actually put the logo that I designed for them on the big screen behind them so I have that photo, of course, (of) them on stage, but seeing my logo behind them as well was probably the highlight of my year! The biggest lesson is contracts! Everyone gets a contract - my friend gets a contact, my mom gets a contract - because every time I have not done a contract, it has literally bitten me in the ass in the worst ways possible! As much as you believe, oh this is a friend, they can be trusted, they should understand how it works – no, I need to operate as if, it sounds terrible, but operate as if everyone around you is stupid and do everything you need to do to cover your own ass!

Talk about what types of subjects (music, events, lifestyle, brand campaigns, etc.) you enjoy shooting and what are your goals in terms of work for the rest of this year and next year?

CM: I would say the top things I do right now are events; I love shooting events. I call myself a sniper jokingly because no one ever sees me shooting and when I send the photos back, I didn't even know you were looking at me in that photo! I like capturing the raw and joy of every moment! It’s always fun when I’m editing and get to flip back and I get to relive those moments again as I’m editing; I have these funny poses or funny faces, that kind of thing. I really want to get more into studio work and more lifestyle campaigns. Fashion was always my original interest; I just keep getting sidetracked because I have creative ADD (laughs). Definitely looking to get into branded content, and music photography is probably what I’m trying to angle towards next as well!

How do you stay up to date and current with the latest trends in photography (tech, editing, cameras, etc.) without going back to school?

CM: Funny enough, I’m part of this massive Black group chat of videographers, photographers, and we all talk to each other on a regular basis, and when one person finds a really cool article, they will throw it in the chat. So it’s been an easier way of me keeping up to date with certain things like when Sony announced the new 60-something megapixel camera (laughing), they threw (the info about it) it in the chat. Oh my God (I was) freaking out so it was literally a twenty-four-hour discussion about just that new piece of technology. And we critique each other where we help each other out as far as if I don’t have a certain lens, I can put it in the chat: “Does anyone have this that I can borrow? I can pay you?” Everyone is super friendly, super trusting. They have been my main school of hard knocks; we basically have been teaching each other for the last two years.

What lesson did you learn and wanted to share with younger photographers, especially women, that you wish you didn’t have to go through?

CM: It’s something that necessarily I am over myself, but learning to stand your ground on your rates and pricing. If you feel as if you deserve this much or you’re worth this much, don’t let these (specifically) men try and belittle you into thinking that you are overcharging. Your price is your price! You shouldn’t be apologetic or feel as if you have to be flexible or you have to be accommodating to their unreasonable wants. That’s something, to this day, I’m still trying to get over myself, because when someone comes to me, “Oh can you shoot this for me and how much?” - every time the subject of money comes up, I hesitate because I know if I tell them my real rate they’re going to tell me they can find someone cheaper and they aren’t interested anymore, but if I go under my rate they are going to try and finesse me. It’s a constant battle so I’ve been trying to definitely stand my ground. If it means you get called outside your name and they call you a bitch or whatever it is, be the biggest bitch! It doesn't bother me to be a bitch at this point!

How did you come up with your rates? It’s something I think all freelancers (photographers, writers, etc.) have issues with - calculating them as well as increasing them as you get more business to survive and thrive.

CM: I know there are some photographers that like to itemize everything, but for me, personally, I like to operate like everyone is a little bit dumber (jokingly). If you give someone too many options, you have to think how are they going to flip that on to you; if I say this is my hourly rate, this is my edit rate,well their next question is going to be, “Well what if I don’t want you to edit it? What if I just want to pay you the hourly rate?” Instead of giving them that loophole, I just include my editing rate into my shooting rate and name it as one price. It’s a hard conversation you have to have with yourself, in deciding,yeah, I would love to make three thousand dollars a shoot for something simple, but does my current skill level reflect that level of price? You have to be honest with yourself, you might have to drag yourself a little bit, talk to other shooters about it,but you just really have to think what's the least amount of money that I’m willing to get out of bed for, and start there! At no given time am I getting out of bed for, say, a two or three-hour gig, I’m not getting out of bed for less than two to three hundred dollars; that’s my flat out at this point and I stand on that!

Talk about your experience working with Guys Next Door (Mack Wilds, Mouse Jones & FlyRy).

CM: (laughing) They are probably my favorite pains in the asses that I have ever come across. They are highly aggravating (jokingly) and highly entertaining at the same time. They are actually really good people. Some people have some preconceived notions about them, like their personalities. They have been welcoming to me since day one, they have protected me in certain situations where they have only known me for a few months; without a doubt in my mind if something was to happen, I know that I can call them and they would be right by my side. I refer to them as my work husbands and it really does feel like a relationship of sorts, like a legit marriage (laughs),and I’m ok with that! They have opened doors to rooms that I would have probably never been in the next five or so years without busting my ass some other way. So I’m really thankful to have basically fallen in with them. I first joined them in January, so I’ve been there since the beginning minus the very first episode and I’m just gonna ride it out until they attempt to divorce me (laughs), but they are not allowed!

What would be your dream jobs such as either artists or brands or situations?

CM: I have two. I definitely, for whatever reason, want to go on tour with an artist, and I know tour life is not easy - it’s hectic, you don't necessarily have a place to sleep - but I want to say I toured with an artist. I also want to at some point do lifestyle campaigns with brands like Puma, Fila, Nike, and Adidas. Those are the two things I’m angling towards right now.

What would you like to see changed or improved in terms of women in photography?

CM: I would like to see more of us! There’s been at Curlfest for example, from what I could see, I have a group shot and it had to be close to twenty male photographers; I was the one taking the picture and I was the only female photographer there! I want there to be more of us to really start taking over this industry! We have a certain eye that men don't have. There’s been plenty of times where I’ve done events and shot for other women where they have been, “Oh my god, my photos have never come out like this!” - that’s because you didn't have a female photographer who understood as you’re shooting. I’m not going to let you slouch and have your bra strap showing. I’m not going to take that picture and show it to you, I’m going to be like,“Hey, this doesn't look right; can you do this, this, and this?”There are certain things that we know because we are women that these men aren't going to understand, so use that to your advantage and literally elbow your way into the room! I want there to be more of us; I ‘m literally tired of being the only female photographer in a room; then it’s kind of being like the goldfish in the shark tank.

Any last thoughts?

CM: I’ve said this before and I just want to say it again, it’s something I had to check myself on. There is a difference between pulling inspiration from someone and being borderline envious and trying to mimic their path; everyone has their own path and their own way of doing things and accomplishingthings, so you are not going to get where you want to be in life if you’re literally just trying to follow someone else’s footsteps to the T. Don’t be upset that other photographer got the gig that you wanted; don't be upset that you see this person is shooting with this artist and you don't think they’re that great; do what you need to do to put yourself in the same room as them to where it’s now more of a competition, but don’t be envious to the point where you’re (like), “I want to be just like this person.”There’s only one of you, so capitalize on that!