“In my head, I’m trying to gravitate towards people before projects,” says photographer Ally Wei to the Phoblographer in an interview. “I think about what would make my career successful, and I think I would be happy if I got to work with people I love and am close to.” Ally reiterates a really important idea to photographers: the one centered around community — like VSCO. She wants to make something that she and her friend Tiffany are really passionate about. In fact, while Ally thinks most photographers have a dream gig, she just wants a solid set of people to make artwork. Of course, she knows that’s not a realistic goal to making a living; but that doesn’t mean that she doesn’t still rely on the community.
This article is presented in partnership with VSCO. All images by Ally Wei. Used with permission. Please check out her website, her Instagram @alllywei, the Fellows Collective, and her profile on VSCO.
“I’m happiest when someone messages me and tells me what my work means to them.”
Ally Wei
The Story of Ally Wei
Ally, like so many of the current crop of photographers, started out during the pandemic. It gave her tons of free time to figure out what she liked and experiment to find her photographic identity. She did lots of shoots outside and made friends from the various shoots she did. “I listened to a lot of music and always felt creatively stimulated,” Ally tells us. “I also spent some time living alone with my childhood dog, which definitely healed my inner child and gave me some time to remember that I AM YOUNG and my path will find itself as time moves on.”
She still uses her first camera, too! Well, it’s her dad’s. He lent her a Canon 5D Mk III and a 24-105mm f4 L lens. She pairs it with a Godox V860 II and whatever else she has available. “I shoot primarily outdoors and let the creativity flow with the environment I’m in,” she tells us. “I even use the same gear for everything from product imagery to concert imagery. Don’t let anyone trick you into thinking you need a new camera for anything, it may help in some ways, but the more important part is to try things with what you have and go from there!” Like so many other photographers, she realized that gear is only a part of the equation.
Being extroverted, she yearns to always connect with folks and be surrounded by good vibes. Though on the photography side of her life, she’s pretty shy. “I went to a networking event recently and as a young person in a room full of amazing and creative adults, I couldn’t help but feel strange – like I’m not sure where the lines between a connection vs a friendship are yet,” she tells us. “I also feel a bit of imposter syndrome, because it feels like I’m the clueless one in the room since I don’t have a clear path ahead anymore (with the transition from a full-time / rank climbing job to freelancing).” Despite how tough it might be, she’s doing the work that so many others dream of.
A look through Ally’s work on VSCO, and you’ll find much of what the editorial world adores right now: bright colors, diversity, the sun, and youthful energy that combines play with just the right amount of random. She’s also huge on Asian representation. She works to make her images feel like a joyful dream — and there’s a bit of the 90s romantic comedy feel in her photos.
“The thing that stands out to me about Ally’s work is its boldness and freshness. Her work is easily recognizable, but there’s nothing you can point to as the ‘Ally thing’, which I love. It’s just playful, fearless and creative.”
Zach, Senior Evangelist at VSCO
Most of all, though, Ally cherishes the photoshoot process. She adores connecting with the heroes of her images, the styling, concepts, the story, the message, etc. You know, all the stuff that’s lacking in so many other photographs that we see online. By all means, Ally’s work is the equivalent of a fruit picked at its ripest moment — delicious with a feeling of fulfilling our souls.
Crazy enough, she gets some of this inspiration from sound. “I love music that ‘punches the gut just right’ when paired with my work, such as Brad Oberhofer’s Just When You Need Yourself Most or Mid-Air Thief’s These Chains,” she tells us. “I think all this combined makes my photography feel like – my photography.” Her work also draws inspiration from Jimmy Marble and Ramona Dai, who mix their editorial/commercial style of work well with their more personal projects, ending with a final product that speaks to the human experience in a unique way, according to Ally.
The Business Side: A VSCO Collaboration
In January 2024, Ally decided to go after her dream of being a full-time freelance photographer after enjoying a stint in the fashion world. She’s found it scary and confusing — but is a big fan of cold emailing. “I message fashion brands of all sizes and styles every week to see if I can hop on any editorial projects,” she tells us. “I also work closely with my best friend Tiffany Day, a singer-songwriter bedroom pop musician, as her Creative Director. I basically get to work in all sorts of mediums, not limited to photography but also directing & producing music videos, web design, tour photography, merch designs, etc.” And the rest of her work is all through word of mouth.
“Ally’s work always stands out to me because she captures moments of vibrant freedom and motion within the crisp structures of her own unique vision. There’s an effortless, candid nature to the subjects in her work and yet her perspective & intention runs throughout her entire body of work. Her work grants us crystal clear moments of parallel universes that she alone has created.”
Maggie Jurow, Senior Manager of Brand Storyat VSCO
She’s really, really, really big on collaborations, too. A recent VSCO Space was made by her and the Fellows Collective, an organization she runs that helps promote community among artists. The Space collaborated on the idea of dislocation and what it means to them as artists.
On the Future of the Creative Side
With Ally being so young, she still believes in the power of connecting with other people and intentionality. She, like many others, has some skepticism about AI in the art world. “It’s like when musicians hide secrets for their upcoming album in music videos (like a date being circled in a calendar as a prop) or when an artist chooses to make something a certain color to represent something else – no AI could ever replicate that intentionality,” she explains. “…The human mind has so much to contribute, and while AI may be manipulated by companies and whatnot as a ‘shortcut’, the power of intention is so powerful to me.”