My name is Kate Scott Daly, and I can't wait to meet you! I'm a Chicago native and have been a professional photographer for over 10 years. I am obsessed with capturing the perfect moment that will make you gasp and say "Oh my god, this is amazing!" Being a queer woman, it is so important to me that you feel safe, loved, and beautiful every step of the way. Whether it's your wedding day, a portrait session, or even marketing stills for your brand, I am ready to make some magic with you!
Hi, I'm Kate! (she/Her)
Aries Cat Mom Your Biggest Fan
If you're looking for someone you can relax with and just be yourself, you've found me! Let's face it: it can be awkward being in front of a camera. Even I feel nervous sometimes! I understand that anxiety and will do everything I can to make you feel fabulous and comfortable.
In addition to weddings, my biggest passion is music photography! I have photographed hundreds of shows and festivals over the years, including Lollapalooza, Riot Fest, and Pitchfork. Ask me about my favorite shows! I bet I've seen your fave bands once or twice.
digital & analogue photographer
experience
portfolio
Galleries
All sizes, all genders, all love
Let's make some magic.
No matter what you want on your big day, I am here for you! No request is too big, no idea is too silly...this is ALL ABOUT YOU! Do you want to get eloped at the courthouse on a Friday morning? Let's do it! Are you adding in important cultural elements from both sides of your family? I will capture every detail with love and care. Are you including your pets on the big day? Get ready to hear me shriek with joy!
I want to celebrate every form of love. Queer couples, polycules, folks who are bucking the typical wedding traditions...you are all welcome here. I am a proud and out queer woman, a body-positive photographer, and a believer in all declarations of love and affection.
bright, colorful, full of joy & wonder
I can't wait to meet you.
My clients are superstars. Check 'em out.
| Go to galleries |
I’ve shot bands and musicians in every major venue in the city, and I’ve covered every summer festival Chicago (and the Midwest!) has to offer. I do PR shoots, album covers, and live photos for bands, magazines, and record labels. Let’s make some musical magic.
From Schuba's To Lollapalooza, i do it all.
Not getting hitched? That's cool!
Not used to posing? no biggie.
I love taking portraits. Whether you need a professional headshot for LinkedIn, or you’re looking for some artistic shots around the city, I’m always down to capture the moment.
i can make your business shine.
Marketing photos and social media design are critical to your business. I can help. I have spent years working as a social media manager for such organizations as React Presents, Lake Shore Drive-In, and DishRoulette. I know what it takes to make your Instagram feed pop.
Kate was the photographer for our wedding and engagement photos. We were incredibly happy with every part of working with her! As a same-sex couple, it was important to us to find someone with lots of experience in LGBTQ+ weddings. From the very first intro call, we knew she was the perfect fit for us. She asked great questions to get to know us, then during the engagement session made us feel super comfortable with both posing and candid shots. She was flexible on the schedule for the wedding day itself, and our guests were impressed with how it seemed like she could be everywhere that fun things were happening. Finally, we were thrilled with how the photos turned out. Kate's style is mostly to capture candid moments of joy to remember the details of the wedding day, though we loved our staged/posed shots, too. We would absolutely recommend Kate!
andy & tim
Hire Kate!!
Kate was the photographer for our wedding in April 2023. When choosing photographers it was my now husband who had seen some of Kate's work in the music scene of Chicago. We looked at her wedding photos and loved how she highlights colors and includes more sincere candids. After meeting with Kate we knew she was perfect for our big day. She was amazing throughout the entire process including the engagement session and planning the wedding day timeline. She went above and beyond to make sure I was at ease for the wedding day. The wedding went great and Kate brought so much energy and positivity. She kept the bridal party and family photos on schedule and our friends and family talk about how great she was to work with, too. The photos came out beyond beautiful and we will cherish them forever! We are so happy that Kate was our photographer!!
Lia & Tye
Kate was amazing, and had just the aesthetic we were looking for. Modern, but timeless, and completely open to our idea for a small and quick ceremony at the Chicago AIDs Garden and after for a rooftop reception.
The photos captured the day perfectly, especially her use of the natural lighting and all of the candid photos which turned out to be our favorite. She was also great at giving everyone instructions to make all the posing feel natural and genuine. We highly recommend her for any of your future portrait shoots!
Rito & Garrett
i've been lucky enough to follow Kate's work over half a decade, so when my partner and I decided to finally tie the knot, we decided that she'd be the perfect individual to photograph our wedding. We were spot on, because Kate did an absolutely incredible job.
Kate was not only concise in her communication, but was available for questions and kindly provided great insight from her vast experience with shooting events that helped us make key decisions on the photography, but also the overall wedding itself.
On the day of, Kate exhibited a degree of professionalism that is worth every single cent of her rate. She was willing to go above and beyond for us to get the shots that we needed. She received so many compliments from our guests on her professionalism and efficiency, and people also just loved having her around because she a fun person that makes people feel comfortable enough to be themselves.
caitlin and jon
Just wow. Kate Scott did an incredible job of photographing our wedding, from the small, intimate ceremony in our home to the fifty-person party at a restaurant. She handled logistics, people, and pets with care, stealthily captured candid moments, and efficiently (and patiently) corralled family and guests for group shots. On top of that, she was communicative and lovely throughout the process. Highly recommend!
sheila & chris
Kate was an absolute dream to work with! She brought the energy and fun we were looking for! It was really important to us as a queer couple to have a photographer who understood this and could make everyone feel comfortable. Kate went above and beyond to ensure she could best support us. From the very first phone call I was excited to work with Kate and didn't even talk to any other photographers! I loved Kate's work online and knew she would be great to work with! Kate was fun, energetic, creative and thoughtful in her work! The pictures turned out wonderful! Kate helped us make memories that I will cherish forever!
Tiffany & Jes
Kate was an absolute joy to work with! My, now husband, and I hired her for both our engagement and wedding photos and are absolutely thrilled with how they turned out. We are both plus sized and relatively anxious people so having someone who could put us at ease and get genuine smiles was really important. We also made the job a bit more complicated by insisting our dog was in both our engagement photos and at our ceremony. Kate handled everything, especially us, with grace and a smile. You can tell she is experienced as she answered all my questions before I even thought of them and she was very good about keeping us informed about what next steps would look like which I appreciated. Also, and very importantly, the photos are incredible! Going through the album she sent of our day is just a joyful experience. She caught so many smiles and wonderful moments. I really can’t recommend working with Kate enough.
Diane & Daniel
Kate was SUCH an amazing help as I was planning out how to propose to my fiancé. She’s flexible, creative, understanding, fun, and so easy to work with. She gave me ideas and suggestions that ensured the proposal went as perfect as I could have imagined
Taking pictures after the proposal was so much fun, and made it such a dream come true for my fiancé. Kate made sure we were both comfortable and at ease, and we felt like we were just hanging out with one of our friends.
The pictures turned out wonderful as well! Can’t say enough great things about Kate! Well worth every penny.
Joe & Christina
I had the pleasure of working with Kate prior to hiring her for our wedding, so I knew she was the perfect person for the job.
She did such an amazing job or capturing our special day. She worked with my husband and I to identify key moments to focus on during the ceremony and reception so we could be totally immersed in our big day.
Kate is incredibly professional, kind, and has an amazing eye for framing those special shots.
We could not be happier with her work.
