Conversations with the Inspiring Amy Fregoso

Today we’d like to introduce you to Amy Fregoso.

Amy, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I have always considered myself a creative person and have been drawn to the arts my whole life. When I was young, I took every art class my high school offered, but something changed at age 16 when my dad bought me my first camera for my very first photography class. I truly fell in love with the artistry of developing film.

Photography gave me the ability to show images of the world as seen through my eyes, allowing me to speak through each shot. As an introvert at heart, photography has been an incredible outlet for me, speaking through my images has provided a way for me to creatively express myself when simple words cannot.

I look back and see how much I’ve changed from that 16-year-old girl and compare it to the ever-evolving world of photography as it has changed in so many ways as well. It wasn’t until college that I became exposed to digital photography. I had to rediscover my love and adapt as the developing process changed to a digital post-production process of “developing” an image. A raw image could be considered bland because it is the base composition of your idea reflected in muted colors. In this way, it’s not quite alive. Through my editing process, I have discovered how to bring life into these images with my own unique style.

Today, I am a small Colorado business owner, capturing real moments, showing my voice, my style, ever-evolving. One thing with photography, your work is still, but you can never be stagnant; with this industry, you must always be learning and growing, so where I am today is far from that little girl.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
No, it hasn’t always been a smooth road. Throughout my life, I have faced my fair share of trials and tribulations. With time, I have learned to overcome many of life’s challenges, and while it has gotten easier to navigate bumps in the road such ease has not come overnight.

When I was 15, I was involved in a major car accident and it changed my life drastically. The accident left me with lifelong physical issues that I’ve had to learn to cope with. Standing, walking, climbing, and all the other crazy positions a photographer must get into to get the best shot can sometimes be difficult for me. The accident gave me a different lens to look at life through; I am honestly thankful to have survived that difficult time in my life. If it weren’t for that moment, I most likely wouldn’t have discovered photography.

I didn’t take the traditional path to college right out of high school like most. I got married young and had a beautiful daughter shortly after. After years of being told that I should get a college education in something that would make money, I decided to enroll in college in 2009 as a psychology major. Even though I was always drawn to the arts, I allowed the opinions of others to discourage me from pursuing the so-called “starving artist career” and following my dreams. As a result, I spent two years in school for something I liked but didn’t love. At this time my life was starting to unravel, and I wasn’t yet fully aware of it. My then-husband and I weren’t doing great, and we ultimately split in January of 2011.

This new fork in the road left me wanting to focus on rediscovering myself, so I ended up changing majors from the beginning of 2011 to a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a Concentration in Photography. This was an extremely trying time for me as I was a 29-year-old sophomore in college, a newly single mother, and I had to figure out how to support myself and my daughter. Somehow, I managed to juggle a full-time job and going to school full time for about a year; I was burning the candle at both ends, and eventually burned myself out to where I had to drop down to part-time school.

Things eventually started to smooth out for me, and I met my now-husband, who is absolutely amazing. From the get-go, he supported my dream and has always pushed me to believe in myself and my art. I started my photography business officially in 2016. However, as fate would have it, I got pregnant in 2017 with my second child, and my schooling had to be put on hold. Once my son was born, I pressed play again and started right back up where I left off. I rented a studio space in Centennial, Colorado, and started advertising. Through the love and support of my husband, and the self-confidence that I had discovered within myself, I found that I can accomplish anything!

My advice to anyone is to never give up, even if it looks like your dreams are never going to come to fruition, don’t stop. It’s been the longest road, with many bumps, twists, and turns along the way. I have had more obstacles thrown my way than I can count. I probably will have many more to come, but I am getting there and will continue to face them head-on and succeed.

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into Amy Noel Photography story. Tell us more about it.
I am a Portrait, Wedding, and Event Photographer, I shoot high school seniors, families and weddings mostly because I love capturing authentic moments. I am a firm believer that everyone deserves to have great photos. Photos are the perfect way for us to relive those most precious moments and memories. Each photo acts as its own little time capsule. There are so many people out there that don’t get portraits done or have pictures to look back on. I am proud that I can provide images that people can treasure. I capture everything when shooting; from candid, goofy moments to perfectly positioned shots, I deliver it all. Some think I am crazy to deliver so many images to my clients, but as I said those moments are something I want my clients to look at and say “she captured me, my family perfectly, and I don’t have to choose my favorites.”

Giving back is something I am very passionate about as well. I believe it is important for us to leave this world just a little better than how we found it. I contribute my time to Caring for Karen Sue (caringforkarensue.com), a charity, by shooting their annual golf tournament and assist them with earning money for their cause. Dave Danielson started this golf tournament to support alternative treatments outside the country for Karen, his mother when she was battling breast cancer. Unfortunately, she lost her battle in 2011, but Dave vowed to continue the tournaments no matter what to support a cause close to their mother’s heart. I have donated my services to the golf classic for the last five years, along with my time, I donate Images, gift cards, and Artwork built for their silent auction or raffle. Each year they donate the proceeds of the tournament to different causes – this year they donated to The Right Step; whose mission is to better the lives of people with disabilities through riding horses. It truly is an honor to work with them each year.

Do you have a lesson or advice you’d like to share with young women just starting out?
Find a mentor, in whatever field you’re interested in and learn all you can from them. This is one thing that helped me grow as an artist, my mentor Gloria (Gloriaruth.com). She has been a true blessing, her wealth of knowledge of this industry has truly been the most important piece. I am a firm believer that everyone should have someone to guide them and teach them. Us women also need to stick together and lift each other up, never tear each other down.

Secondly, don’t be shy, get yourself known and seen by people in your industry. The keyword is network. It is the hardest for people like me to get out of our shell and talk to people we don’t know, but it is what will set you apart from others. Always remember to never stop following your passion. Don’t let anyone tell that you aren’t good enough, because you are, believe in yourself!

Pricing:

• Portrait Packages start at 300.00
• Wedding Packages start at 2500.00

Contact Info:

• Website: Amy Noel Photography.com
• Email: Amy@AmyNoelPhotography.com
• Instagram: @AmyNoelPhotography
• Facebook: @AmyNoelPhoto

Image Credit:
Sarah Lindsay Photography, Amy Noel Photography

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