By: Kalyssa Chu, Staff Writer

If you’re active on social media, odds are you may have come across the work of 22-year-old photographer Kimberly Yu, better known around Mills as “shotbykimyu.”

This past year, Yu has made her mark at Mills by photographing various school events, including athletic contests and senior nights, the Viking Velocity dance show, prom, and more. Mills has also recently invited Yu to photograph and capture more cherished memories at this month’s upcoming graduation ceremony.

Yu, a Mills alumna, graduated from high school in 2020 before studying and playing basketball at the College of San Mateo for two years. Yu then graduated from the University of California, Riverside as a film major; yet, she didn’t pick up photography until the beginning of 2024.

“Mills has really helped me get my start in photography,” Yu said, “One of my first opportunities came when I was invited to shoot for the football team…I’m really grateful [for] that chance. It opened the door for everything that followed.” She further emphasized, “I had no idea [photographing for Mills] would lead to everything that came after…I eventually fell in love with the process of creating a story through my lens.”

As an emerging photographer, Yu expressed, “[Mills] has been a great place to build my portfolio and my confidence.” She continued, “Coaches allow me access to games, students and faculty members love my work, and families ask for photos…everyone I’ve met [at Mills] has supported me in getting my name out to people, which gives me more opportunities to do new things.”

On that note, Yu says she finds the community to be the most rewarding part of photographing for Mills. “Getting to connect with athletes, coaches, and families and being able to give them photos that mean something has been really rewarding,” Yu said. She added, “Specifically, my favorite team to shoot so far has been girls’ basketball. I really felt at home with them. They were super welcoming, supportive, and just had such great energy on and off the court. It made every game fun to capture.”

This year marks just the start of Yu’s career in photography. “I want to keep growing my freelance work, especially in sports and portraits,” Yu said, “Eventually, I’d love to work with collegiate or professional teams. I’m also open to exploring creative storytelling through photos, whether it’s for athletes or artists.”

Yu is open to work and available on Instagram under the user @shotbykimyu or by email at ky7shoots@gmail.com for anyone interested in her services.