About Mia

The story behind the lens

Mia Chen, photographer

Hello, I'm Mia

I'm a freelance photographer based in San Francisco with a deep love for natural light and authentic moments. My work spans landscapes, editorial portraits, and urban exploration across four continents.

I picked up my first camera at fourteen during a family trip to Kyoto. What started as a fascination with golden hour light on temple roofs turned into a lifelong pursuit of those fleeting, unrepeatable instants where everything aligns — subject, light, emotion.

After studying visual arts at RISD, I spent two years traveling through Southeast Asia and North Africa, building the body of work that became my first solo exhibition, Threshold. Since then, my images have appeared in National Geographic Traveler, Kinfolk, and Cereal Magazine.

When I'm not behind a camera, I'm probably hiking the Marin Headlands with my dog Atlas, experimenting with film developing in my home darkroom, or hunting for the city's best cup of pour-over coffee.

12+
Years
30
Countries
200+
Projects
8
Exhibitions