Meet Mollie Kimberling | Freelance Photographer

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

Hi Mollie, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I never really saw myself as the creative type while growing up in a small town in Idaho. Compositions and colors always caught my eye but I never really knew how to apply that to a possible career option. Could I really have a job that I actually enjoyed doing every day? If so, what does it look like? It wasn’t till my early 20’s that I remember really starting to take an interest in photography and looking at it in a way that it could be a career for me. When I was younger my mom was a wedding/portrait photographer so I was always around photography. She even converted our small laundry room into a dark room. I would often sneak in there and watch her develop photos under the glow of the dim red light.

In 2014 I found a Commercial Photography program in Seattle that sounded like a perfect fit for me. I bought My first camera and started a 2 year program that would shape the rest of my life. During my Commercial Photography program they had us shoot every genre of photography from models in studio to product on location. One semester we had a food photography class, that’s when I realized that food photography was the route I wanted to go.

Through school and after I graduated school I worked day jobs to pay the bills, interned to gain more knowledge and skills in the photography world, and I worked jobs that had me brushing shoulders with people in positions that I strived to be in. I felt like I was on the right path to finding a job that would challenge me creatively and one that I enjoyed showing up to every day. Then 2020 came around and shook up everything.

The pandemic hit the reset button for me. Now I had time to slow down and reevaluate what I wanted to do and where I wanted to live. I had always fought against becoming a full time freelancer because of the fear of not being able to make a living off of the income. But the freelance life kept putting itself right in front of me so there was only one thing left to try. I packed up all my stuff and moved from Seattle, WA to Palm Springs, CA in July 2021.

I had a temporary place to stay, no official clients, no day job, just my belongings and whatever savings I had in the bank. This situation definitely pushed me to put myself out there and get my full time photography career going. Here I am 2 years later feeling more myself than I have before. I have an amazing client base, surrounded and supported by family and friends; old and new. The best part is, I feel like I’m just getting started.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.

When I graduated from photo school I had chosen to focus on Food Photography. Whenever I tell people I am a photographer and they ask what kind of photography I do, they always seem a little surprised when I say food! There are a lot of wedding, portrait, landscape, and fashion photographers. Food Photographers aren’t as common and I love bringing more attention to this genre of photography. I know a lot of people like to take pictures with their phones of their food at restaurants before they eat, but there is something different about using an actual camera to find the angles and the details that make a person crave a photo.

After deciding to move to Palm Springs I knew that the hospitality scene is important here. I was excited to connect with restaurants and hotels to photograph food in new settings, on its own or with models. Everyone has to eat and people are such foodies these days so it is a fun environment to be in and capture these scenes that make people want to eat the food and be in the moment.

Now having been here for a couple of years and I know this is where I am supposed to be right now. I am doing what I love, being pushed and tested in new situations, forming relationships with amazing people, learning so much about what it takes to run a business, and I know there is so much more to come. What I strive for in my work is authenticity. I love photographing food in natural light to capture the natural beauty this world has to offer. I like my photos to organically portray a moment that a customer can see and have that same experience when they visit a restaurant. A major hurdle I have noticed the last couple of years doing photography full time is that the creativity isn’t always flowing and there are lulls in this business, so I just have to keep pushing, keep shooting, and the rest starts to fall into place. I have been learning to take the quiet moments and lulls to reflect and set new goals instead of sitting in a place of uncertainty. Sometimes the uncertainty is what sparks the most creativity.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
There are so many places to eat and drink here in Palm Springs! Gabinos Creperie for a new take on a crepe, Mr Lyons for a classic wedge salad, Birba brunch for saucy meatball sliders, Babys Marche for an unforgettable caprese sandwich, The Penny and The Parlour for a fresh menu and unique ambiance, Porta Via for heavenly lobster benedict, the tailor shop for a cocktail to fire up the evening, and Holiday house for brunch with your friends before you leave town!

Besides eating and drinking your way through the city there is fun sightseeing to do as well. Depending on the time of year you visit, there are hikes near Palm Springs, you can take the Tram to the top of the mountain for lunch, hiking, and a view of the Coachella Valley, and of course a variety of shopping along Palm Canyon Drive downtown.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There isn’t any one single person that comes to mind when I think of the success I have had with my career. It is truly a mix of all the ups and downs of starting a career and all the people who have been there along the way. I of course owe a lot of my success to my clients who have trusted me to photograph for them and my family and friends.

A few of my clients who have been the biggest part of my foundation as a photographer here in Palm Springs would be the F10 restaurant group, which is made up of Cheekys, Birba, Mr. Lyons, Seymours, and High/Low. Palm Springs Life Magazine is another client that has been so important for me to grow and learn about photographing for a major publication. One of my newest clients that I am thankful for and already feeling so much support from is Baby’s Marche, located in Indian Wells, CA. It is a charming little restaurant run with love and attention to detail by husband and wife, Justin and Johanna Snyder.

Finally, of course I wouldn’t be able to get through the lows to experience the highs if it weren’t for my personal support system of my family, friends, and my boyfriend. My family and friends have pushed me to try new things and encourage me to keep going. They know what I am capable of and when I lose sight of that they help me get back on track. My boyfriend has lived such a different life than I have and has a refreshing outlook on life so he has opened up my mind to new ways of thinking and reminds me about what is truly important. He is also a freelance photographer so we are lucky to be able to understand each other on a creative and professional level as well.

Website: www.molliekimberling.com

Instagram: @mollie.kimberling

Image Credits
Mollie Kimberling Photography- All Images