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

Hi Paul, is there something you can share with us that those outside of the industry might not be aware of?
I would say one thing that people outside of my industry are probably unaware of is the amount of time that is not spent behind a camera taking pictures or capturing video. There is a tremendous portion of time that is spent in front of a computer screen. Whether it is editing, managing social media accounts and websites, preproduction for shoots, or networking and managing relationships, the majority of time spent is focused around those things vs on set.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I have always been driven to create. Whether that was building treehouses in middle school, skate ramps and drawing sketches in high school, creating music in the handful of bands over the years, or finding my voice with creating through imagery with photography and videography.

My desire to create and evoke emotion out of my audience is my driving force. I am proud of how far my business has come. From assisting other talented photographers right out of college, to growing my clientele and refining my skills, to transitioning into video, it has been a wild and never ending journey.

Most definitely has not been easy, and has taken many years to create a workflow, marketing plan, and creating relationships that hold the whole thing together. I’m still and will always be working on those things to continue pushing myself to be a better artist, a better business owner, a better person.

Some things I have learned along the way are that relationships are everything. Surround yourself with like minded people that help keep that drive and push each other to set and reach new goals. Treat people well, be a good person. We’re all in this together, trying to make things happen. As they say, rising tides lift all boats.

I am known to hold a high standard for my work and the outcome of our productions. Always looking for ways to push things, from conception and coming up with ways to brings stories to life, to being on set and keeping the energy in a good space, lighting in a way that brings the magic, and post production and polishing the content to it’s highest degree. My goal is to bring the audience into my world, hold them there longer than the other masses of content floating around on this earth, and evoke an emotion that draws a connection to the story that I’m telling for myself or my clients.

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 would take them on little tours of a handful of the fantastic neighborhoods we have here in Denver. One of my all time favorite things to do is walk around an area looking at the eclectic concoction of houses and buildings and dip into places here and there for a drink and snack.

A walk around the lake in City Park and grabbing a drink and surprising amazing food at Middleman on Colfax. Take a stroll through RiNo to check out the urban art all over the sides of buildings and grabbing some pizza at my new favorite spot, Redeemer.
Exploring my hood of Berkeley and the Tennyson street district. Stop into Call Your Mother for a bagel sandwich and slide into My Boy Tony for great vibes and cocktail.

Heading into the mountains is never a bad idea, with great day trips at your fingertips to places like Salida or Leadville. Or pushing deeper into the further reaches of places like Crested Butte, the quintessential quaint mountain town to be surrounded by the beauty of mountains and a look back in time to a classic Colorado western town.

And if time and weather allow, depending on season, head out to one of the jaw dropping national parks like the Great Sand Dunes or the Black Canyon of the Gunnison.

Plan a day for visiting some of Denver’s impressive list of museums like the Denver Art Museum, The Molly Brown House, or one of my personal favorites if just for the architecture of the building itself and the Clyfford Still Museum.

Every month there is something new popping up around here. It’s hard to even keep track of them all!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Every single crew on every production is key in my success with my work and business. My good friend, first assistant, and dp, Cass Letson, has worked side by side with me over the years and has been a huge benefit and key part in my work. Élise LaVanchy, who jumped in last year as my producer has been fantastic to work with and a driving force to keep things moving forward. Every single friend and client over the years that has encouraged me, helped refine my vision, applauded my success and sat and listened and/or helped overcome the struggles of running a business in this industry has been a major part of what keeps me on track, energized, and driven. Tom Visocchi, for always giving me creative freedom. Cara Cook, for helping me get into my dream studio and encouraging me to push my business further. Jon Rose, for always bringing the good vibes and positive affirmations. Futuristic Films, for seeing my potential and bringing me into their family. My parents, Pam and Les Miller, for always being there to support whatever venture I decided to pursue. My girlfriend, Shar Molina, for keeping me in check on gratitude and always being my cheerleader. And so many more people that have been a part of things.

Website: https://www.paulmillerphotography.com

Instagram: pauljmillerphoto

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-miller-9900172/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pauljmillerphotography

Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/paulmillerphotography

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