Meet Ally Kroeckel | Photographer & Creative Producer

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

Hi Ally, how has your background shaped the person you are today?
I grew up in the suburbs of the Bay Area. My mom is a photographer, she used to shoot for the NFL and MLB, so I always had access to cameras growing up. My dad was a software engineer so he introduced me to the world of editing. In middle school my friends and I would make videos and post them Youtube. Some would be music videos of ourselves lip syncing to Ke$ha songs in my backyard, others would be complications of scenes from Twilight with a Taylor Swift (team Edward forever). I loved editing and creating but back then never saw it as something that could be a career.

I was never told what I could or could not do in terms of pursuing a career. Nothing was ever a “good idea” or a “bad idea” even when I made the decision to go to film school. Having that kind of freedom and support allowed me to explore openly and find what I true love, even though I didn’t approach photography as a career at the beginning.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
For the past couple of years, I have worked as a lifestyle CPG photographer. It’s so niche and wasn’t what I was pursuing or dreaming of when I started taking photography more seriously, but now I can’t imagine being in any other space.

I knew I wanted to work with brands, but I thought that meant becoming an influencer or content creator. At the same time, I was doing a lot of portrait photography as a creative outlet. My roommate and I were obsessed with Olipop and decided to save all our cans because I had a vision of filling up our fridge and doing a photoshoot. Once we did it, I posted it on Instagram, and the brand quickly reached out to me, asking to share the photos and wanting to work together. In the end, it felt like the two things I wanted to pursue came together so harmoniously. From there, I gained more clients in the CPG space — and here we are today!

People always say that if you want to manifest something or live your dream, you need to start acting like you already have it. Create a routine your future self would follow, so when opportunity comes, you’re prepared for it. At the time, I wasn’t consciously trying to do that, but in retrospect, it makes sense how it all came together — and I’m so grateful it did.

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 great places in LA, but this would be the best Sunday on the West Side. I’m also a yoga instructor, so I’d start by taking them to a workout class with a cold plunge into the ocean after. Then, we’d walk down Abbot Kinney or Montana for coffee (I love La La Land). For lunch, we’d pick up sandwiches at Bay Cities and bring them to Ola Beach Tennis in Ocean Park for the afternoon until sunset. Dinner at Zinqué because everyone needs to get Le Bowl once in their life- and to end the day, we’d go to Erewhon for soft serve (Hailey’s way with extra peanut butter).

Honorable mentions for other places I love: Camp Pho in Venice, Seoul House of Tofu in Sawtelle, and Bacari

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
A big thank you to my parents who gave me the space and opportunity to pursue my passions and interests. Making them proud is my favorite thing to do!

Website: https://www.allykroeckel.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/allyk.jpg