Hometown girl April Kroenke is back.
After years overseas and criss-crossing the country, 42-year-old April Kroenke has returned home to launch a photo studio, April Kroenke Photography.
Her passion for taking photographs began early, clear back when she was a member of the local Square B 4-H Club.
And growing up on her family’s dairy north of Iola provided an opportunity to capture images of bucket calves, market hogs and riding horses.
However, what really launched her shooting career, she suspected, was traveling to the Kansas State Fair, not for photos, but instead fashion.
“While we were there, Neal McCoy was one of the artists performing on the stage … and I got an amazing shot of him,” Kroenke explained.
“That was kind of the catalyst for going on,” and making photography her life’s work.
AFTER 4-H, Kroenke became involved in high school journalism, yearbook and other related activities, such that by the time she got to Pittsburg State University, she decided to major in graphic design with an emphasis in photography.
“My now-husband, if he couldn’t find me on campus, he knew to go to the dark room,” she laughed.
“I always smelled like fixer and developer, and just loved doing black and white film.”
Kroenke’s Pitt State connections would also pay further dividends, such as when she scored her first wedding shoot thanks to the Dean of Education, whose son was getting married.
SPEAKING of weddings, Kroenke would go on to marry her IHS sweetheart, Scott, who serves in the Army as an engineer officer.
Together they have Austin, now 19, and Jessica, almost 17, and began raising their family while stationed overseas, while Kroenke was still pursuing photography.
For instance, while in Hohenfels, Germany, she shot tons of photos on the base, focusing especially on youth sports.
“It’s like its own little city,” Kroenke said of the military installation.
